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Vermont high school coach, daughter suspended for misgendering trans student who used girls’ locker room

Blake Allen called a biologically male student, who identifies as a female, a ‘dude’ while her father referred to the student as 'male'

RANDOLPH, VERMONT: A 14-year-old student was suspended from a Vermont high school although it allowed a transgender pupil to make ‘death threats’ against the student who complained about the individual using female changing rooms, a lawsuit claims. Randolph Union High School reportedly suspended Blake Allen after she addressed a biologically male student, who identifies as a female, as a ‘dude’. Blake's father, Travis who was the coach of the girl's soccer team, also got suspended from his post for also calling the student in question a ‘male’. 

The family has filed a lawsuit against the Orange Southwest School District Board, the Superintendent, and two co-Principals of the school in Vermont District Court. They were asked to leave by several members of the team according to the lawsuit. They, however, refused to leave with some even telling Blake and Travis had made ‘inappropriate remarks.’ The lawsuit alleged that Layne Millington, Superintendent, Lisa Floyd, and Caty Sutton, Co-Principals, violated Blake and Travis’ First Amendment rights by attempting to dictate "what may be said on matters of public concern." The lawsuit also alleges that the school did not take any action and apparently turned blind eye to the transgender student's death threats made against Blake. The student reportedly said, "I’m going to f***ing kill Blake Allen" after the locker room incident. 

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“I made a social media post and referred to the male student as a male, and I was punished because I misgendered him,” Travis told “Tucker Carlson Tonight” Thursday, October 27, speaking of the transgender female student. He said that he felt uncomfortable with the transgender, 14, sharing the locker room with his daughter and other female players. Travis was backed up by his daughter who said the same thing that she too felt “really uncomfortable” to see the trans student sharing the locker room with other girls. The coach and father of four said was slapped with an unpaid suspension when he publicly aired his concerns. 

Blake said that when she went to school authorities to complain about this matter, “they just shut me down, (saying) that there was nothing they could do.” The teen was later told to participate in a “restorative justice circle” and write an apology letter to her trans schoolmate or else she would face consequences. “I said I would rather have a five-day suspension than have to apologize because I’m not sorry,” she said, according to New York Post. 

According to her, she had to pay the price for being vocal and expressing her opinion “that a male shouldn’t be in the women’s locker room.” The Daily Signal previously reported that the same school came under the scanner for banning the girls’ volleyball team from its own locker room after several players, among them Blake Allen, complained about the trans student.

While addressing the legal guardian of the trans student, Travis Allen wrote in his Facebook post after the locker room incident, "The truth is your son watched my daughter and multiple other girls change in the locker room. While he got a free show, they got violated. You think this is fine and dandy. I wonder how you would feel if I watched you undress?” 

Orange Southwest Unified School District Superintendent Layne Millington wrote in a letter sent out last week that Travis told the school authorities he pointed out the trans student as male on purpose. “Such conduct is unprofessional and unbecoming, and flies in the face of the Vermont Principal Association’s athletic regulations, Vermont State regulations, and the RUHS Middle-High School expectations,” Millington wrote. The superintendent acknowledged Allen has been suspended without pay for “misgendering” the student. He added that school officials have “significant concerns” about the coach’s ability to “support all of our students as the law requires.”

They have since retained a lawyer from Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian legal advocacy group committed to diminishing LGBTQ rights and protections. A lawsuit was filed against the Vermont school alleging unconstitutional retaliation by attorney Tyson Langhofer. Transgender students are allowed to participate in sports and use restrooms or locker rooms that correspond with 'gender identity' under Vermont’s education policy. “The use of restrooms and locker rooms by transgender students requires schools to consider numerous factors,” the policy states. “A transgender student should not be required to use a locker room or restroom that conflicts with the student’s gender identity.”