Exclusive: Taylor Sterling, a high school cross country runner at Martin Luther King High School in Riverside, Calif., lost her spot on the varsity team to a transgender transfer student earlier this season.
Multiple parents of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s students told FOX News Digital that Dr. King will compete on the varsity cross country team even though King missed practice for academic reasons. He said he was allowed to do so. Those parents include Sterling's father, Ryan Sterling, a longtime firefighter, and Caitlin's father, Dan Slavin, a construction contractor and another runner on the team.
“The fact that the male athlete was able to compete after participating in less than 25% of practices is unfair. In what era, in what team, in what sport can he barely attend practice and still be able to compete? ?'' Dan Slavin told FOX News Digital. “It's not fair and it's not right for the guys who work so hard every day throughout the season.”
Both families are currently suing Riverside Unified School District (RUSD).
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Ryan Sterling told Fox News Digital that cross country played such an important role in his daughter's life that losing her spot on the national team was an emotional turmoil for the entire family. . He claims that when his daughter and other girls on the team confronted school administrators about it, they were told that “transgender people have more rights than cisgender people.”
“It's been said to me many times, not only by Taylor but also by her sister,” Ryan Sterling said, adding that Taylor is one of triplets and all three play on varsity sports teams. “All Martin Luther King Jr. administrators have made this comment, and the Riverside Unified School District's Title IX Coordinator has told several girls, “As a cisgender girl, I don't have the same rights as a transgender girl.'' ” Our daughter is the only one, but there are several girls on campus.”
In a conversation with FOX News Digital, a RUSD spokesperson declined to publicly comment on Ryan Sterling's claims.
RUSD previously issued a statement to FOX News Digital insisting that its response to the situation was in accordance with California law.
“Although these rules were not created by RUSD, the district is committed to complying with the law and CIF regulations. California law prohibits discrimination against students on the basis of sex, gender identity, or gender expression. “The protections we provide to all students are not only consistent with the law, but also include equity and welfare.” is also consistent with our core values,” the statement said.
In California, the following laws have been enacted: AB1266 The law, which has been in effect since 2014, requires students at the academic and college level in California to “participate in single-sex school programs and activities, including athletic teams and competitions, without regard to gender; “The right to use facilities appropriate to one's gender identity.” It is listed on the student's record. ”
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California Code of Regulations Section 4910(k) defines gender as: “A person's actual or perceived gender, whether or not that person's perceived identity, appearance, or behavior differs from that with which it is traditionally associated. Includes the person's gender at birth. ”
California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Bylaw 300.D., which reflects the educational code, states that “all students, regardless of the gender listed on the student record, shall be treated in a manner consistent with their gender identity. They should be given the opportunity to participate in CIF activities.”
RUSD also placed responsibility for responding to the situation on officials in Washington, D.C., and California's capital, Sacramento.
“As these issues play out in the courts and in the media, opposition and protest should be directed to those in positions of influence over these laws and policies, including officials in Washington, D.C. and Sacramento.” is written in the statement.
But Sterling, Slavin, other students and their families are ready to do more than just send a letter to their local legislators.
Taylor and Kaitlyn sparked a viral trend in their community in November when they showed up to school wearing shirts that read “Save Girls Sports.” According to a lawsuit filed against the school district, administrators including the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. questioned the girls about their shirts, comparing them to swastikas.
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Then, as schools changed their dress codes and began detaining students for wearing shirts, more and more students began wearing shirts to school each week. However, the spread and growth of the shirt did not stop. It has become a weekly ritual for hundreds of students to show up to school every Wednesday wearing cheering girls shirts to share a message, with many making viral posts about it on social media.
In early December, school administrators abandoned efforts to discipline students who wore the shirts. Officials told Fox News Digital that more than 400 students were wearing the shirts to school at one time, and students at other schools in the district have also begun wearing the shirts to class. That's what it means.
While this was happening, Taylor was taking steps to regain his spot on the national team, his father said. Ryan Sterling said it was a “transformative” experience that boosted his motivation both athletically and academically. She has since regained her spot on the national team, and her father said she won a recent match over a trans player by more than three seconds.
“She had a lot of support from her friends and all her friends were wearing T-shirts,” he said.
According to Ryan Sterling, the Sterling family has not only received positive attention, but also multiple negative messages and even threats. The family had to postpone a recent family trip in preparation for Taylor's trip to the state tournament because Taylor's parents did not feel comfortable allowing her to travel alone.
“There was some negativity online, some threats of violence against my daughters, some other content, and I left Taylor alone for a day and a half and took her on a plane a day later. “We were reluctant to allow her to be a state candidate, so we decided to stay together as a family to support Taylor and delayed our vacation until the new year,” Ryan Sterling said. Ta.
The situation reached a potential tipping point during a five-hour RUSD Board of Education meeting on Dec. 19. There was a violent protest outside the office, with activists, parents and LGBTQ activists wearing “Save Girls Sports” T-shirts.
Officials told Fox News Digital that LGBTQ activists at the event harassed opposing demonstrators and even attacked a woman during a prayer circle before the rally. He is said to have disrupted a prayer group.
Parents and opposition activists then passionately voiced their thoughts on the situation at the rally, with several speakers screaming in hysterical tones. But Ryan Sterling, who remained throughout the meeting, got a glimmer of hope toward the end of the meeting. After the tournament, a newly installed board member spoke to the girls who were there to protest against transgender athletes and suggested that the issue would be resolved once President-elect Trump takes office on January 2, he said. 20.
Ryan Sterling said the new director said, “Don't worry, everyone. We've got your back. Just wait until January 20th.”
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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2024 Supporters of transgender athletes stand on the platform as an overflow crowd gathers outside a Riverside Unified School District meeting Thursday night to discuss the rights of transgender athletes to participate in high school sports. He is holding up a card. (Allen J. Scherben/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
President Trump has pledged to ban transgender athletes from women's and girls' sports, and the new Republican-controlled Congress has indicated it will do the same.
the house rule package Bills for the 119th Congress were posted this week, and the first step in the order of business is a bill that would bring about amendments to Title IX that would only allow athletes to compete in the gender category they were assigned at birth.
But California and Gov. Gavin Newsom have vowed to resist the incoming Trump administration.
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