Vermont student and her father file lawsuit after being suspended for complaining about trans pupil

A high school student and her father are suing a Vermont school district – accusing it of retaliating against them for complaining about a transgender student being in the girls’ locker room.

Blake Allen, 14, was suspended from Randolph Union High School and her father Travis Allen was fired without pay from his job as the girls’ soccer coach for calling the biologically male student, who identifies as a transgender girl, ‘a male.’

The father and teen daughter joined ‘Tucker Carlson Tonight’ on Thursday night to discuss the lawsuit filed against the school district. 

‘I was suspended because I voiced my opinion that a man shouldn’t be in the women’s locker room,’ Blake said on the show. 

‘A lot of my classmates were supportive, I think most people and the school are, they are just too scared to speak up because they see all the backlash I’m getting for it.’ 

Travis said: ‘I made a social media post that referred to the male student as a male and I was punished because of it. Because I misgendered him.’ 

She then informed Carlson that the school lifted her suspension shortly after their lawsuit was filed. It is not immediately clear whether the school was aware of the lawsuit when it lifted the suspension.

Vermont high school student Blake Allen, 14, and her father Travis Allen, appeared on Fox News Tucker Carlson after filing a lawsuit  against the school district alleging they were punished for complaining about a trans pupil being in the girls locker room

Vermont high school student Blake Allen, 14, and her father Travis Allen, appeared on Fox News Tucker Carlson after filing a lawsuit  against the school district alleging they were punished for complaining about a trans pupil being in the girls locker room

The lawsuit claims superintendent Layne Millington, pictured, is among others who 'violate the First Amendment' by attempting to dictate 'what may be said on matters of public concern'

The lawsuit claims superintendent Layne Millington, pictured, is among others who ‘violate the First Amendment’ by attempting to dictate ‘what may be said on matters of public concern’

Describing what happened, the teenager said: ‘I was in the locker room and the student walked in and there was the rest of the team was in there and I was uncomfortable and I left and I told the school and they just shut me down and said there was nothing they could do.’

Some teammates had alleged that the transgender player made an ‘inappropriate remark’ to some of them while they were changing in the locker room.

They first requested that the school relocate the student, who hasn’t been named. No details of the alleged inappropriate remark have been shared.

However, Vermont’s state law means that students can play sports and use the locker which correspond to the gender with which they identify. 

Travis said that none of the other employees were supportive when he was suspended – and his daughter was told by school staff to write a letter of apology to the trans student. 

But she defiantly told them that she would not be saying sorry for stating her opinion. 

The lawsuit filed on Thursday alleges that Allen and his daughter were punished for expressing their view on a matter of profound public concern: whether a teenage male who identifies as female should be permitted to change in a girls’ locker room regardless of the discomfort experienced by the girls in that room.’

Blake explained that she thinks the school district was mad that she was ‘telling people how I thought it was wrong and that men shouldn’t be allowed to be with us in the locker room.’

Vermont laws stipulate that transgender students - such as those at Randolph High, pictured, can use whichever facilities align with their gender identity

Vermont laws stipulate that transgender students – such as those at Randolph High, pictured, can use whichever facilities align with their gender identity 

According to the lawsuit first obtained by The Daily Signal, it claims that: ‘In objecting to a male being in the room while the girls are changing, Travis and Blake each made comments underscoring that the trans-identifying student is in fact a male, including by using male pronouns.’

‘Indeed, their view of the student’s maleness was foundational to their opinions on appropriate use of the locker room.’

‘Yet, their remarks were too much for Defendants’ transgender orthodoxy—Travis was deemed to have ‘misgendered’ the student, while Blake was found guilty of ‘harassment’ and ‘bullying’—so Defendants disciplined both of them.’

The lawsuit names Superintendent Layne Millington, co-principals Lisa Floyd and Caty Sutton, and the Orange Southwest School District Board as those who ‘violate the First Amendment’ by attempting to dictate ‘what may be said on matters of public concern.’

‘Yet, that is exactly what happened here,’ the filing states. ‘Defendants punished Travis and Blake for saying that a male is a male, as a matter of sex and biology, regardless of the gender identity that the male has assumed.’

Blake Allen previously spoke out against an unidentified transgender student using the girls' locker rooms at her Vermont high school

Blake Allen previously spoke out against an unidentified transgender student using the girls’ locker rooms at her Vermont high school

The school district reportedly told the Allen family on October 21 that Blake had violated its Harassment, Hazing, and Bullying policy and must serve a two-day out of school suspension, write an essay, and take part in a ‘restorative circle’ with the school’s equity coordinator ‘and at least two students who can help her understand the rights of students to access public accommodations.’

If Blake’s required essay is found to be ‘lacking good faith’ by the school, she would have to serve an additional three days’ out of school suspension, the lawsuit said.

‘I said I would rather have a five day suspension and have to apologize because I’m not sorry,’ she told Carlson on Thursday. 

Blake added many of her classmates were supportive, stating: ‘I think most people and the school are, they are just too scared to speak up because they see all the backlash I’m getting for it.’

However, she previously told The Daily Signal that she doesn’t regret speaking out.

‘I’m glad I spoke out because there’s still so much that could be done, that the law could be changed, because now it’s national news,’ she said, adding of the trans-identifying student, ‘He had the right to go in, but once we said we were uncomfortable, he should have just left. It should have been that simple.’

‘I don’t want other girls to have to feel uncomfortable about it,’ Blake added. ‘I think everyone should be able to just get changed in a locker room that they were born as. If you were born a girl, you can go in the girls’ locker room, get out when you’re done. It should be simple and it’s not anymore.’

source: dailymail.co.uk