A federal appeals court has ruled in favor of Mid Vermont Christian School after it was banned from interscholastic competition by state officials for refusing to play against a team that included a transgender athlete.
On September 9, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit overturned a lower court’s decision and issued a preliminary injunction. This order temporarily blocks the Vermont Principals’ Association (VPA) from expelling the Christian school while legal proceedings continue. The court determined that the school is “likely to succeed” on its claim that its religious freedoms under the First Amendment have been violated because the VPA showed hostility toward the school’s beliefs.
The issue began in February 2023, when Mid Vermont Christian’s girls’ basketball team refused to play a playoff game against Long Trail School after discovering a male student who identifies as transgender was on the opposing team. School officials said their concerns revolved around fairness and safety for their female athletes.
In response, the VPA expelled Mid Vermont Christian from all state-sponsored sports and also barred the school from non-athletic events under its jurisdiction, such as science fairs and spelling bees.
The Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) filed a lawsuit on behalf of the school and one of its families, arguing that the state’s actions punished the school for exercising religious liberty protected by the First Amendment.
Court documents show that VPA Executive Director Jay Nichols called the school’s stance “blatant discrimination under the guise of religious freedom.” The VPA’s appeals committee similarly dismissed the school’s safety concerns as a “myth,” and labeled its religious objection “wrong.”
Head coach Chris Goodwin—who has held his position for nearly ten years and whose daughter plays on the team—said the school felt compelled to forfeit the game to uphold its religious convictions. He stated that acknowledging the trans athlete’s participation under those conditions would have meant accepting the state’s belief system about gender in ways contrary to Scripture.
Because of the VPA’s expulsion, athletes from Mid Vermont Christian lost access to visibility in state-level competitions, lost chances for all-state or all-conference honors, and were deprived of scholarship opportunities. The school also had to travel to other states to compete in Christian leagues.
David Cortman of ADF said the Second Circuit’s ruling could serve as a precedent for other religious schools in similar circumstances. He argued that requiring a school “to choose between standing up for their religious beliefs and losing out on all their athletics” was an improper choice for the state.
The VPA reportedly said it does not discriminate based on religious beliefs, but did not further comment, citing ongoing legal matters.
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