Pearland coach’s rant draws big response
A Pearland ISD high school coach’s social media rant against transgender girls’ participation in female sports this week sparked hundreds of comments — some in support and others in dismay — in a public Facebook page for parents, though the post contained misleading information surrounding a recent executive order.
In a post made on her private Instagram page, the woman identified herself as a coach of female athletes and said: “I watch my girls bust their asses everyday at practice...and for what? To lose to some dudes who want to be chicks? Nah. that’s RIDICULOUS…#BIDENERASEDWOMEN.”
The hashtag was trending on Twitter after President Joe Biden on Inauguration Day signed an executive order stating that it is his administration’s policy to prevent and combat discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation.
In her post, the coach condemned Biden’s “decision to allow transgenders to compete within women sports,” sparking a wave of supportive comments from parents who said they are worried about unfair competition. However, the administration made no such decision.
The executive order seeks to fully enforce Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The administration asked federal agencies to review policies, regulations and orders concerning this topic and consider additional measures to ensure they are in full compliance with the policy.
“Children should be able to learn without worrying about
whether they will be denied access to the restroom, the locker room, or school sports,” the order states.
An official with the Montrose Center in Houston said the coach’s post is a “blatantly transphobic” talking point.
The post reinforces negative stereotypes of transgender individuals, conveys a profound misunderstanding of gender identity and sends a signal to trans youth that they don’t belong, said Austin Davis Ruiz, communications manager for the LGBTQ+ advocacy organization.
“It really comes down to making sure our kids are being set up for a successful future,” he said. “At the end of the day, trans youth just want to be able to enjoy school like everybody else … and in denying them the ability to play on a sports team or to join a club simply because of their identity is really to do a disservice as a parent, as an educator and as a community member.”
In Texas, policy enacted by the University Interscholastic League, which governs public school sports programs, mandates that gender is determined by a student’s birth certificate. Boys are prohibited from participating in girl’s teams, while girls may try out for boy’s teams under some circumstances. The policy governs Pearland ISD sports.
A spokesperson for Pearland ISD said the district is aware of the post from a district employee. The district declined to confirm the coach’s identity and did not directly respond to a question about whether the coach will be disciplined, saying only that personnel matters are confidential. The coach did not respond to an email.
The parent who posted a screenshot of the coach’s words wrote that she thinks the school district should hold the coach accountable and hopes other parents will email district officials asking for her removal as head soccer coach.
“It’s thoughtless and crass,” the parent wrote. “Regardless of what you think about LGBTQ concerns, I hope we can all agree that her language was hurtful towards transgender students, letting them know they aren’t welcome here.”
The post garnered nearly 700 comments. Some parents defended the coach’s statements and advanced similar opinions, while others said they believe her language was inappropriate, offensive and ignorant.