A California high school has come under fire for allegedly telling a student that “transgenders have more rights than cisgenders.” The comment came after the student, Taylor Starling, lost her place on the varsity cross country team. In protest, Starling wore a t-shirt stating “Save Girls Sport,” which school staff at Martin Luther King High School reportedly compared to a swastika.
Taylor’s father, Ryan Starling, alleges that this incident has emotionally disrupted their family and has initiated legal action against the school district. Multiple parents from the school in Riverside, California, support Starling’s allegations, stating that a trans athlete was allowed to compete on the girls team.
The controversy escalated when Starling and other students were allegedly reprimanded for wearing the “Save Girls Sport” t-shirts. The school reportedly equated the shirts to swastikas and updated the dress code to include detentions for violation. However, the school ceased disciplinary actions when over 400 students across the district wore the protest t-shirts.
Amidst the controversy, president-elect Donald Trump has pledged to ban trans athletes from competing in women’s sports, also promising revisions to Title IX that allow athletes to compete only in the gender category assigned at birth. On the other hand, California’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom has vowed to resist any such changes imposed by the new administration.
Despite facing opposition from transgender activists, Starling successfully regained her place on the varsity team after outrunning the trans athlete in a recent competition.