In recent years, treatment of transgender children has been a hot-button issue across the country. Florida is among at least 25 states that adopted bans on gender-affirming care for minors and one of at least 24 states that’s adopted a law banning transgender women and girls from certain women’s and girls sports.
But what happens when parents like Jennifer Norton allow their children, who were born male, to participate in girls’ sports? That November tip launched a school district investigation that has led to Norton facing the possible loss of her job as a computer information specialist at Monarch because she allowed her daughter to play. Investigators also said she didn’t change the child’s gender on school records back to “male” from “female,” as required by district policy.
Norton told the school board Tuesday that her daughter had been elected freshman and sophomore class president, was selected the student body’s director of philanthropy and was a homecoming princess. That all ended when the investigation began and the girl left Monarch. They destroyed her high school career and her lifelong memories,” Norton said. “I saw the light in my daughter’s eyes gleam with future plans of organizing and attending prom, participating in and leading senior class traditions, speaking at graduation and going off to college with the confidence and joy that any student like her would after a successful and encouraging high school experience. And 203 days ago, I watched as that life was extinguished.”
The girl now attends school online.
None of the board’s nine members responded to requests for comment on Norton’s situation or whether they plan to take action against her. But what is clear is that this case highlights the challenges and difficulties faced by transgender students who are simply trying to participate in extracurricular activities like sports, just as their cisgender peers do.
In a world where gender identity should not be an issue, it’s heartbreaking to see parents like Norton facing such backlash for allowing their children to live authentically.