Massachusetts school REFUSES to apologize for fielding trans basketball player who 'injured multiple rivals, prompting them to forfeit game,' as ACLU defends her too

• Collegiate Charter School of Lowell was competing against KIPP Academy Lynn during a February 8 away home girls basketball game 
• The trans athlete’s school said said: ‘We condemn harmful comments being made online toward members of our community’

A Massachusetts school has refused to apologize for fielding a trans basketball player who ‘injured multiple players on the opposing team,’ which prompted the coach to forfeit the game.

Collegiate Charter School of Lowell was competing against KIPP Academy Lynn during a February 8 girls’ basketball game when coach Kevin Ortins stopped play after some of his students were getting injured.

A video circulated of the Collegiate Charter player, described as shorter than her opponent, wrestling with the biological male athlete from KIPP Academy.

The trans student – who is more than six feet tall with facial hair – tackled the girl for the ball, before she was left on the ground grabbing her back in pain.

Despite the furor, the school has refused to apologize and instead condemned the ‘harmful comments’ being made about the trans student.

The American Civil Liberties Union has also defended the trans girl’s actions.

A Massachusetts high school girls basketball team was forced to forfeit their game after a transgender player on the opposing team injured three players

Rhonda ‘Nikki’ Barnes, the school’s executive director, told The Boston Globe ‘to the best of our knowledge, this student has never been on a men’s team at KIPP.’

The physical description of the biological male player, who identifies as female, was reported by Fox News Digital.

Their name have not ben disclosed, but reports suggest that she has also been on the girl’s volleyball team, and girl’s track team at her school.

Rhonda ‘Nikki’ Barnes, the school’s executive director, told The Boston Globe ‘to the best of our knowledge, this student has never been on a men’s team at KIPP.’

A spokesperson for KIPP said: ‘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.’

Carol Rose, executive director of the ACLU of Massachusetts, said the clip is ‘part of a coordinated attempt nationwide to try to remove LGBTQ people from public life.’

Video shows the transgender player ripping the ball from another players arms, forcing her to fall

Collegiate Charter left the game just after 16 minutes of play, with KIPP leading 31-14

Rose further stated that there ‘hundreds, if not thousands’ of trans students playing high school sports without issue across the nation, and cautioned against conflating allegations of aggressive conduct by one player with broader issues of inclusion.’

The incident has been drawing national headlines with some calling for more guidance from the state on how to handle transgender participation in sports, civil rights advocates warn the incident is being blown out of proportion.

KIPP Academy was leading the game 31 to 14, but the game goes into the record as a 10-0 win, as per the news outlet.

Three other players were injured from the same the charter school thought it remains unclear, if the injuries they sustained were due to the trans player during the February 8 game.

Collegiate’s spokesperson Casey Crane said Ortins forfeited the game after many of his players expressed concern of getting hurt.

Part of the decision to forfeit the game was also due, in part, that the team’s playoff game was close.

‘On February 8th, the coach of the Collegiate Charter School of Lowell Girls’ Basketball Team decided to end a game at halftime after watching a third player injured in the game with KIPP Academy,’ the statement read.

‘The bench was already depleted going into the game with the 12-player roster having four players unable to play.

When the coach saw three more 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.’

The KIPP’s player that is a biological male who identifies as a female is more than 6 feet tall and has facial hair, a source told Fox News Digital

Collegiate Charter School of Lowell Athletic Director Kyle Pelczar told The Daily Item the coach knew about KIPP’s transgender player going into the game

The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association said a player cannot be excluded from a team based on gender identity.

Section 43.3.1 on the handbook said, ‘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.’

The handbook noted a student cannot be listed on a team roster for the purpose of gaining an unfair advantage.

‘It is a recommended best practice that schools communicate with their opponents as necessary about the gender-specific needs of their team in order to promote inclusion,’ said the handbook.

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