Nebraska school board moving forward with policy for trans athletes despite opposition: ‘Unfair playing field’

close

Video

Caitlyn Jenner: They have to change rules on transgender athletes in women's sports

Fox News contributor Caitlyn Jenner on a report that a Seattle High School biological male is now dominating in the female division

Kearney Public Schools (KPS) Board of Education in Nebraska on Monday passed a policy looking at the participation of transgender athletes in sports at the high school and middle school levels.

The school board had two policy versions to consider during their meeting, voting four to two in favor of Version A.

During the public comment period, there was an overwhelming backlash against the consideration of including transgender athletes from over 40 speakers.

ALABAMA DOCTORS, PARENTS OF TRANSGENDER KIDS SUE TO BLOCK LAW BANNING CROSS-SEX HORMONES

Penn transgender swimmer Lia Thomas speaks to her coach after winning the 500 meter freestyle during an NCAA college swimming meet with Harvard Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022, at at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass. The University of Pennsylvania says it will work with the NCAA under its newly adopted standards for transgender athletes. Swimmer Lia Thomas competed on the men’s team at Penn before transitioning. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds)

A wrestling coach critiqued the measure, saying "we only have 14 classes and science figures out who fills those 14 weight classes," he said.

"As adults here in the room, we’re going to have to say listen … there are naturally born women that cannot–cannot compete in the Olympics because they’ve got something that causes them to create too much testosterone. It is an unfair playing field. I’ve seen it in my whole life."

He added that wrestlers with the best work ethic "don’t win because they can’t compete." 

UTAH BILL LOOKS TO BAN GENDER-AFFIRMING SURGERY FOR MINORS

Among the several speakers that blasted the proposal, there was one transgender man who spoke on behalf of allowing transgender youth to participate in their chosen sport.

"The opportunity to race as my gender, and not assigned gender at birth, has contributed to my mental health and success as an adult," Connor Jacobson said. 

Woman protesting in favor of the LGBTQ movement. (Yffy Yossifor/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

"It is in the communities best interest to provide the same opportunities to young trans athletes as we already do to cisgender athletes."

The vote now sends the proposal to be discussed further at a later date.

KPS Superintendent Jason Mundorf told a local news outlet that they could wait for the legislature regarding transgender students and athletes, but they decided to open a conversation about the issue. 

FLORIDA MEDICAL BOARDS APPROVE BAN ON PUBERTY BLOCKERS, TRANSGENDER SURGERIES FOR MINORS

The Nebraska Legislature Bill 575, also known as the Sports and Spaces Act, was introduced on February 7th this year. It would prohibit transgender students to use facilities that are not aligned with the biological gender assigned at birth. The bill would also prohibit the participation of transgender athletes in sports that are not aligned with the biological sex assigned at birth.

The state may or may not pass LB 575. Our school board felt this issue was important enough to receive a review and decision regardless of the outcomes of the legislative bill or any changes with the NSAA's existing policies.  

The bill reads:

"An athletic team or sport designated for females, women, or girls shall not be open to a biological male student. An athletic team or sport designated for males, men, or boys shall not be open to a biological female student unless there is no female team available for such sport for such biological female student."

Anti-Transgender athlete and anti-gender-affirming surgery bills swept through state legislatures nationwide, Fox News Digital previously reported.

Documents show that a Arizona high school counselor is coaching staff to obtain students’ secret genders, a process that appears to have been kept undercover from parents. (Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Fox News Digital reached out to KPS for comment:

"Our board policy revisions require two readings/votes by the board members to be approved as the new policy. Version A of the new policy did pass 4-2 for the first reading and it will be in front of our school board again on April 10th for 2nd reading/final approval. If the board approves this policy by majority vote a second time, it will be our district's policy," Mundorf told Fox News Digital.

"The state may or may not pass LB 575. Our school board felt this issue was important enough to receive a review and decision regardless of the outcomes of the legislative bill or any changes with the NSAA's existing policies," he said. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Wyoming state legislators approved a bill on Tuesday that would prohibit biologically designated male students from playing on female sports teams.

If signed by Gov. Mark Gordon, Wyoming will join a list of other states like Oklahoma, Florida and Mississippi that have banned trans athletes from competing in women's sports.

Parents across the country have protested controversial curricula like critical race theory, as well as the presence of certain books in public libraries. 

Fox News' Greg Wehner contributed to this report.