The mother of a New Hampshire high school student-athlete was banned from playing in a football match after telling a classmate “only two genders.” She spoke out publicly for first time on Thursday.
“My first reaction to the news was that I was shocked,” said the mother, who requested anonymity and spoke to Fox News in an interview. Her son, a football player at school, had texted a classmate off-campus.
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“My son had already informed me about the incident, so that I was aware of what had happened,” said the mother, who is from Rockingham County. “When I saw his text messages, I agreed to his opinion. He simply stated an opinion. I defended him on the phone to the vice principal and said, ‘He has a right to his opinion.’”
The student and his mother sued Exeter High School and Vice Principal Mary Dovholuk Nov. 4, alleging they violated the teen’s constitutional right to free speech along with the New Hampshire Bill of Rights.
The school has a written policy regarding “transgender or gender nonconforming students”. It states that they have the right of being addressed by their preferred name, pronoun, regardless of their biological sex.
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The intentional refusal to respect a classmate’s chosen gender identity – including nonbinary and agender — is a violation of this policy, the suit says.
“This case shows schools increasingly think that their role it is to instill correct ideological beliefs in students and to enforce them,” Ian Huyett, the family’s attorney, said to Fox News. “Fortunately, they have no constitutional ability to do that, and it’s important they be reminded of that.”
M.P. is the high school linebacker. According to the suit, the high school linebacker M.P.
M.P. started the controversy on Sept. 9. M.P. was in Spanish class when a student claimed she was nonbinary and preferred to use the pronoun “they”.
M.P. met M.P. on a bus ride back home that afternoon. The suit states that M.P. started to talk about the incident with his friends.
A female classmate identified by A.G. overheard them, and allegedly said, “There are more that two genders!” The suit claims that A.G. is neither transgender, nor nonbinary, but believes in gender fluidity.
A.G. eventually obtained M.G.The papers claim that A.G. later obtained M.G.’s phone number and that the pair had a contentious exchanging.
He wrote to her that gender and sex meant the same thing. “There are only 2 genders and 2 sexes.”
She maintained that gender is distinct from the biological sex assigned at birth. “Your [sic]This is something you should know in high school,” she replied.
He replied, “I also understand that ur a bozoo.” According to the lawsuit, he wrote: “Just stfu. Leave me alone.”
M.P. was taken out of his science class by William Ball, vice principal and football coach. William Ball, the vice principal and football coach, pulled M.P. out of his science class.
Huyett’s suit contained the text messages A.G. had sent to him and the pair confronted each other.
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Dovholuk also criticised his use of rude language. He was banned from playing football for a week. However, Ball reduced the punishment to one-day.
The school is seeking nominal damages and an injunction to stop it from enforcing its gender nonconforming student policy, which it claims violates the First Amendment.
The school’s superintendent, vice-principal and football coach did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Source: Fox News
