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Resident urges board to require evidence before changing transgender‑athlete eligibility rules
Summary
A district resident told the board that proposals to change athletic eligibility for transgender students would be exclusionary and urged the board to require specific evidence before pursuing changes, citing the Minnesota Human Rights Act.
Max Maher, a district resident who addressed the board during audience opportunity, urged school leaders to avoid broad proposals that would exclude transgender girls from school sports without specific evidence. Maher said the concerns previously cited to justify policy change were undefined and unsubstantiated.
“The idea that inclusion can be achieved by excluding a protected class of students is not just contradictory, it erases students from the field entirely,” Maher said, adding that the district should model courage and compassion and base any advocacy for change on evidence, not “abstract discomfort.”
Maher noted ongoing federal litigation affecting athletic eligibility in the community but said no public evidence had been presented to show the current policy harmed student athletes. He urged the board to define concerns with facts before advocating policy changes that could conflict with state protections.
Chair Tanya Prince thanked the commenter and moved on to the superintendent’s report. The board did not take action on the issues raised during the public comment period at this meeting.
