Without clarity and reform by the Minnesota State High School League on issues of gender equality and transgender girls playing sports and on teams traditionally conducted by biological girls, Dan Call wants the New Prague Area School District to eventually stop supporting and being a member of the league.
Monday, July 17, with Director Denny Havlicek absent, the board unanimously passed its annual membership resolution delegating control of its interscholastic activities as required by state law to the Minnesota State High School League. The board OK’d the resolution with what Call deemed a “gentleman’s agreement” to seek more clarity from the MSHSL. The league manages athletic and other student activities, management which includes conducting section and state competitions. The district paid the MSHSL $15,682 for its membership in 2022-23.
But Call wants ongoing membership in the league to be contingent on the MSHSL allowing school districts to have more control on issues associated with transgender girls – boys transitioning to becoming girls – participating in girls’ sports. The MSHSL is following state law and an interpretation of state law allowing transgender girls to participate in sports traditionally meant for biological girls. The league is the adjudicator of those issues and appeals on whether transgender boys can play girls’ sports.
Call told the school board at the July 17 meeting the MSHSL board has been “a little negligent” on providing clarity on the issue and doing “a bureaucratic dodge” on not allowing school districts to make their own decisions.
“The MSHSL, since COVID, has not been responsive to the needs of the member districts. One of the current issues is that they do not have clear and reasonable standards governing the participation in girls’ sports by male athletes,” Call said. “Many districts in the state have board members that are favoring withdrawing from the league because of this issue. I agree with these board members in principle, but I think two things need to happen before we would sever ties with the MSHSL.”
Call wants the school board to seek reform. He proposes the district notify the league in writing of its desire for change. “Second, if reform is not an option,” he said, “we should find/form a new league to support that we can switch to after it achieves an appropriate level of membership from districts in the state.”
Brad Skogerboe, New Prague High School’s activities director, said New Prague has not....
To see more on this story pick up the July 27, 2023 print edition of The New Prague Times.
School board member calls on MSHSL to reform on gender identity
