A girl's high school basketball game in Massachusetts abruptly ended after a coach watched three of his players get injured by a transgender player on the opposing team.
The Collegiate Charter School of Lowell Girls' Basketball team was forced to forfeit during its February 8 game against KIPP Massachusetts after one of KIPP's players, a biological male, injured three of their athletes.
Video capturing one of the incidents shows a KIPP player throwing down a girl who was attempting to steal a rebound. The KIPP player rips the ball from the girl's hands, leaving her injured and unable to get up off the floor.
According to a statement posted by Collegiate Charter School, the coach decided to end the game at halftime because the players "feared getting injured and not being able to compete in the playoffs."
"When the coach saw three more girls go down in the first half leaving him with five players, he made the call to end the game early. The upcoming Charter School playoffs were looming, and he needed a healthy and robust bench in four days. Once the third was injured, the remaining five expressed concern to him about continuing to play," a Lowell spokesperson announced.
"In an effort to maintain safety for his team, he decided to forfeit. The Charter School supports this decision and reiterates its values of both inclusivity and safety for all students. We take the standards set by the MIAA and our Board of Trustees seriously and strive to uphold them on and off the court. We also follow the guidance from the MIAA and state laws regarding equity and access for all student-athletes," it continues.
Collegiate Charter School of Lowell Athletic Director Kyle Pelczar told a local Massachusetts outlet, the Daily Item, that the coach and the team had previously played KIPP on December 12 and had played against that player.
"Coach (Kevin Ortins) knew going into the game, already, because we had them at home the first game of the year and nothing happened then, so he knew going into the game," Pelczar said.
In that game, KIPP defeated Collegiate Charter School 36-29.
Pelczar also explained Coach Ortins' reasons for forfeiting the game.
"So, he felt that his girls were getting injured, basically, all game," Pelczar said. "He has a playoff game on Monday, so he didn't want to have any more of his girls go down."
The KIPP academy girls' team does have a player with facial hair on its roster who identifies as female, but Fox News reports, "KIPP officials refused to confirm the player's gender identification."
The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) handbook states that "a student shall not be excluded from participation on a gender-specific sports team that is consistent with the student's bona fide gender identity."
However, it adds that a student cannot be added to a roster "solely for the purpose of gaining an unfair advantage in competitive athletics."
KIPP Academy Massachusetts executive director Rhonda Barnes told Fox News the school supports state laws and regulations when it comes to extracurricular activities.
"The vision of KIPP Massachusetts is that every child grows up free to create the future they want for themselves and their communities," KIPP Academy Massachusetts executive director Rhonda Barnes told Fox News Digital in a statement late Tuesday. "To do this, we work to create joyful and identity-affirming schools for our students, and prioritize maintaining student and staff safety above everything else."
"We also support state laws and regulations, which provide students with the right to participate in all school extracurricular activities and sports based on their gender identity or expression."
"We condemn harmful comments being made online toward members of our community, and will continue to let the vision, mission, and principles of our organization guide our actions."
The video clip has caused an uproar on social media.
Riley Gaines, a former NCAA swimmer who was required to compete against a trans swimmer, also weighed in on X writing, "A man hitting a woman used to be called domestic abuse. Now it's called brave. Who watches this & actually thinks this is 'compassionate, kind, and inclusive'?"
Trans-identified male player for Kipp Academy in MA injured 3 girls before half time causing Lowell Collegiate Charter School to forfeit.
A man hitting a woman used to be called domestic abuse. Now it's called brave.
Who watches this & actually thinks this is "compassionate,… pic.twitter.com/ZLlqYH6iAs
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) February 19, 2024
KIPP was leading the February 8 game 31-14, but the game goes into the record as a 10-0 win.
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