A Florida public school employee is facing possible firing because she allowed her transgender daughter to play on the girls varsity volleyball team in apparent violation of state law. The 2021 Fairness in Women’s Sports Act bars students who were born male from participating in girls sports. The girl’s mother, Jessica Norton, spoke out against those who outed her child, saying the investigation destroyed her daughter’s life. Norton’s daughter was thriving at Monarch High School in suburban Fort Lauderdale before an anonymous tipster notified the school board member, leading to the investigation and the subsequent removal of the girl from the school.
Norton expressed her frustration with the situation, stating that her daughter’s high school career and lifelong memories were destroyed by the investigation. The girl, who was elected freshman and sophomore class president at Monarch, was also selected as the student body’s director of philanthropy and was a homecoming princess. However, she now attends school online after leaving Monarch. The school board had been scheduled to vote on Superintendent Howard Hepburn’s recommendation that Norton be fired, but the decision has been delayed at least a month. The board has the option to fire Norton, suspend her, or take no action.
The treatment of transgender children has been a contentious issue across the country, with Florida being one of at least 25 states that have adopted bans on gender-affirming care for minors. The state has also adopted a law banning transgender women and girls from certain sports. The Nortons are plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit attempting to block the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act. The investigation into Norton’s daughter’s participation in girls volleyball led to penalties for the school, including a $16,500 fine from the state’s athletic commission. The Monarch Principal and three other administrators were temporarily reassigned during the investigation but were reinstated after student protests.
The district investigative report revealed that a board member contacted the district’s police department after receiving an anonymous tip about Norton’s daughter. Norton’s daughter began taking puberty blockers at age 11 and takes estrogen but has not had gender-affirming surgery. The child’s appearance was described as that of a girl by the school principal, who stated that she looks small and skinny. Norton explained that she enrolled her daughter in kindergarten as a boy in 2013 and transitioned her to a girl in first grade, with the child’s gender being changed on school records accordingly.
The investigation involved interviews with school officials, Monarch volleyball players, and Norton herself. Norton maintained that her daughter should be allowed to play on the girls volleyball team because she is her child and wanted to participate in the sport. The players on the Monarch volleyball team expressed their support for Norton’s daughter, stating that they knew or suspected she was transgender, but it did not bother them that she was on the team. The birth certificate was eventually amended in 2021, but the district claims that the change should have been made earlier according to their policy, which requires parental approval with an amended birth certificate.
The district committee recommended a 10-day suspension for Norton, but Superintendent Hepburn overrode it. The decision on Norton’s employment status has been delayed, with the school board having the option to either suspend, fire, or take no action against her. Despite the challenges faced by Norton and her daughter, they continue to advocate for the right for transgender individuals to participate in sports and receive gender-affirming care. The case highlights the ongoing debate surrounding transgender rights and the impact of discriminatory laws on transgender youth.
