A disgruntled Michigan father has begun a crusade against trans women athletes after discovering his daughter played a single volleyball game against a team with a trans player.

“I’m speaking out today not just for my daughter, but for every family who was betrayed when the adults responsible failed to do their job,” Sean Lechner said at a press conference about the formal Title IX complaint he filed with the U.S. Department of Education.

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Lechner’s daughter, Briley, plays volleyball at Monroe High School in Monroe, Michigan. The complaint says that weeks after a home game against another high school, the Monroe players discovered one of their opponents in that game was trans.

The two teams had shared a locker room, and Lechner’s complaint alleges that the school “knowingly forced female athletes to share… with a male athlete, violating privacy and Title IX protections.”

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The complaint claims Monroe High School’s athletic director knew about the trans player and that failing to notify parents and players “about the presence of a male athlete” was a violation of “privacy and bodily integrity” for the other girls.

Lechner’s argument differs from what many other anti-trans activists argue in that it does not mention whether the alleged trans player was especially good at volleyball or played a major role in the outcome of the game. While many do bring up locker rooms, most folks against trans women in sports also argue – incorrectly – that even when trans athletes have undergone hormone replacement therapy, they have an unfair advantage.

Lechner has also reportedly said the athletic director told him he could not disclose information about a player’s gender because it would violate that player’s civil and privacy rights.

Geoff Kimmerly, director of communications for the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA), told local news station ABC 13 that it granted one eligibility waiver for a trans student this sports season, but could not share details about which sport or school.

“The waiver was granted in compliance with applicable state and federal law,” Kimmerly said. “The MHSAA is obligated to follow both, even as state law and federal guidance have evolved in recent years, often in competing ways.”

Embrace Monroe, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group in the area, slammed the campaign against trans athletes in a statement to ABC 13.

“No one who lives to express themselves, and who does so especially without bothering anyone else, deserves to have their humility and dignity stripped away by those who refuse to accept our humanity.”

Monore Public Schools has hired a third party to investigate Lechner’s complaint, explaining in a statement that they wanted to allow “complete transparency from beginning to end.”

The state GOP has been trying to pass legislation to ban trans girls from sports, but a Democrat-controlled state senate and governorship have made it virtually impossible. Current MHSAA policy allows trans participation via waiver on a case-by-case basis, but officials have reportedly said it’s rarely utilized. According to a 2021 report from the Detroit News, the state receives about two inquiries per year regarding transgender policies out of 180,000 high school athletes.

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