The all-girls volleyball team forfeited all games against the transgender’s team due to safety concerns.
A North Carolina school board voted to forfeit all games against a rival team after a transgender athlete severely injured a player last month.
Video of the incident has gone viral across social media. One player, a biological male, spiked a volleyball, with an estimated speed of 70 mph, directly into the face of his female opponent.
The female fell backward, reportedly suffering a concussion, and has yet to be cleared to compete again.
In late September, the Cherokee County Board of Education voted 5-1 to forfeit all the Hiwassee Dam High School volleyball games against Highlands School, where the transgender student attends.
“The county will not participate in any volleyball games, varsity or junior varsity, against Highlands due to safety concerns,” the board explained.
Hiwassee Dam’s Vice Chair Jeff Martin supported the move because of the “competitive advantage” the Highlands’ transgender athlete holds.
“There is a competitive advantage and a safety concern for certain teams — it’s not the same for all teams,” Martin said.
Education First Alliance reported the Hiwassee Dam player is suffering long-term concussion symptoms and is still, weeks later, unable to play.
The presence of transgender athletes in sports, both in high school, college, and professional has been a controversial issue.
In July, a collegiate, biological male, transgender swimmer was nominated for the 2022 NCAA “Woman of the Year.”
One high school was forced to ban biological females from their own locker room due to the presence of a transgender on the volleyball team.
