Forest Lake school board urges Minnesota, State High School League to comply with federal transgender athlete policy

The Forest Lake school board has written to Minnesota officials urging their compliance with federal policy blocking transgender students from competing in girls’ sports.

The school board approved the letter Thursday over the objections of three members, who questioned how the matter was introduced for discussion and a vote.

The letter, signed by Board President Curt Rebelein Jr. and Clerk Tessa Antonson, is addressed to Education Commissioner Willie Jett, Attorney General Keith Ellison and State High School League officials Don Peschel and Erich Martens.

The U.S. Department of Education said Monday that Minnesota’s policies on transgender athletes violate Title IX, the federal law prohibiting gender discrimination in education programs, by allowing transgender students to participate in female sports.

Federal officials warn that Minnesota risks losing federal educational funding if the state doesn’t change its policies within 10 days.

The school board’s letter states that failure to comply with federal policy jeopardizes the district’s federal funding and threatens the rights of Minnesota students as well as “the integrity of our educational and athletic programs.”

It also says that allowing transgender students to participate in girls’ sports is unfair to females who identify with the sex they were assigned at birth, denying them “equal athletic opportunities” and compromising “their privacy, safety, and dignity.”

Jill Christenson, Julie Corcoran and Gail Theisen voted against it, saying the letter had not been included in the meeting’s agenda and they had not seen it beforehand.

They also said the district’s lawyer had not been consulted on the letter.

Rebelein said he drafted it with the help of private attorneys and rushed to do so because of the 10-day timeline set by the federal government.

He said he was not aware of a transgender athlete currently participating in girls’ sports in the district.

Gender Justice, a St. Paul nonprofit that advocates for gender equity, argues that current policies already ensure safe competition. It says claims about transgender athletes threatening fairness are rooted in misinformation.

The CDC has recommended schools create safer and more supportive environments for transgender and gender-questioning students, citing data showing those groups experience higher rates of bullying, truancy, depression and attempted suicide.

It’s unclear how many transgender athletes play in Minnesota high schools. The State High School League does not require or keep records of transgender athletes in the state, citing data privacy laws.

Illinois, a state with twice the population of Minnesota, has an estimated 25 transgender athletes among 133,000 high school players, according to the Illinois High School Association.

Rebelein and other school board members did not return requests for comment Friday. The Education Department has said it is reviewing the letter.

Also at Thursday’s meeting, district superintendent Steve Massey announced that he will retire at the end of the school year. Massey was principal of Forest Lake Area High School for many years before he moved to the superintendent’s office in 2017.