Christian school wins $566k in ‘religious freedom’ lawsuit after trans basketball player row
A Christian school refused to play against a basketball team that had a trans player (Getty Images)
Mid Vermont Christian School, a private PK-12 school in Quechee, Vermont, has won $566,000 after its girls’ basketball team refused to play a competing team with a transgender student-athlete.
Mid Vermont chose to forfeit an upcoming game with Long Trail School back in 2023.
Ahead of their forfeiture, Mid Vermont had requested that the Vermont Principals’ Association (VPA) ban the trans student-athlete from playing, but the league said doing so would violate its nondiscrimination policies and state law.
Alongside forfeiting, the Christian academy said: “Playing against an opponent with a biological male jeopardises the fairness of the game and the safety of our players.”
As a result of citing their unwillingness to compete against a trans player, Mid Vermont was banned from the state’s school sports league and other extracurricular activities in the state for two seasons.
In response, Mid Vermont enlisted the help of conservative Christian legal group Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) to file a lawsuit against the VPA.
Although an earlier ruling by a Vermont federal judge upheld the ban, in September 2025, a New York-based US Court of Appeals ruled in favour of Mid Vermont, stating that the school’s “religious freedom” had been infringed upon.
Fox News reported that the settlement was finalised last Tuesday (28 April) following mediation, and Mid Vermont has been awarded $566,000 in damages and legal fees – although the full terms of the settlement have not been released.
Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.
