Rep. Elise Stefanik blasted a New York school’s “gender-expansive” policies and warned federal funding could be at stake because they contradicted President Trump’s executive on transgender athletes in girls sports.
The upstate Republican said Saratoga Springs countered Trump’s directive and an order against “diversity, equity and inclusion” programs earlier this month when the board of education passed a resolution pledging support for transgender students to participate in sports “consistent with their gender identity.”
“The Saratoga Springs Board of Education is DEFYING President @realDonaldTrump ’s Executive Order by allowing biological males into girls’ sports and locker rooms,” Stefanik fumed Tuesday.
“This blatant rejection of President Trump’s executive order puts federal funding of our students in jeopardy. As the proud Representative for #NY21 and a mom, I will ALWAYS fight to protect our children and hold out-of-control school boards accountable.”
The resolution, which passed April 1 in a 7-1 vote said the school district would foster an environment where transgender and “gender-expansive” kids “can safely express their authentic selves without fear of discrimination or harassment.”
“We will ensure their right to use facilities and participate in activities and sports consistent with their gender identity,” it went on — adding that the district will “respect chosen names and pronouns.”
The Saratoga Springs school board also said it will stick to its commitment for “equity, inclusivity, and diversity” and “will not comply with directives that violate civil rights protections.”
The New York State Education Department also blew off Trump’s ban on DEI programs, claiming nothing in federal or state law prohibits them.
Some parents have said they will file a civil rights complaint with the US Department of Education, claiming the Saratoga Springs school district is violating Title IX that protects women in sports, by upholding a policy that would allow a biological male who identifies as transgender to compete against them.
The school board is creating a potential funding crisis as well as violating Title IX, Amanda Ellithorpe, a parent of two girls in elementary and middle school in the district said.
“This is about programs getting cut,” Ellithorpe said.
Attorney General Letitia James has taken the stance that a ban on transgender athletes in sports violates the state’s civil rights law.
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