Parent lodges complaint over transgender athlete in girls’ changing room
A concerned parent has lodged a formal complaint with both the US Department of Education and the Michigan Department of Education after a transgender volleyball player accessed a female changing area at a local school, reports BritPanorama.
Monroe Public Schools confirmed receipt of the complaint on Friday. Sean Lechner, who claimed the incident occurred during a match on September 9, stated, “The adults in charge knowingly allowed a male athlete to compete against our girls and allowed him access to the girls’ locker room while they were changing without the girls’ consent or any parent.”
Lechner emphasised, “There’s no excuse for this, ever.” His daughter Briley, who plays for Monroe High School, described learning about the situation weeks later, noting, “When we found out after, weeks after, that there was another male in the same locker room as us, as we were changing and also playing against us, it caught everyone off guard.” Superintendent Andrew Shaw announced that the district would bring in an external party to conduct the investigation and deliver a recommended outcome.
The school administration stated: “The district has chosen to use a third party so that the investigation can be completed in a manner that allows for complete transparency from beginning to end.” The Monroe Public Schools administration declined to comment further while the independent inquiry proceeds.
The two schools met twice during the volleyball season, with the first fixture occurring at Monroe High School on September 9 and subsequently at Skyline High School on October 25. Lechner noted that sharing changing facilities, as occurred during the first fixture, was unusual. The Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) has stated it does not directly involve itself in transgender athlete matters, though its executive director assesses tournament eligibility individually.
Communications director Geoff Kimmerly confirmed that one eligibility waiver, compliant with relevant state and federal legislation, was approved under the association’s transgender student policy for the 2025-2026 autumn sports season, although he declined to identify the school or sport involved, citing privacy concerns. Kimmerly acknowledged engagement with state legislators throughout the autumn regarding these issues, writing: “The legal landscape in this area under both federal and state law remains unsettled, and state and federal guidance have evolved in recent years often in competing ways.”
The MHSAA requires schools to provide documentation covering gender recorded on official documents, along with medical and psychological records and any hormone therapy or gender-affirmation surgery undertaken. In February, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order prohibiting male participation in women’s sports. Meanwhile, Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act bars discrimination based on gender identity, creating a tension between federal and state requirements.
Democratic Party chairman Rick Kull dismissed a press conference held by Republican state lawmakers on the matter as “political theatre,” questioning their priorities given other pressing issues like healthcare and unemployment. Lechner clarified that his complaint aims not to target any child but to ensure that proper protocols exist and are adhered to. The US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights will determine whether to pursue an investigation.
This incident underlines the ongoing debates surrounding participation in sports and the protocols regarding transgender athletes, highlighting how such matters can provoke strong opinions and responses from different sides. It serves as a reminder of the complexity at the intersection of policy, identity, and young athletes in competitive environments.
