A mother is speaking out for the first time, after her transgender child sparked controversy at Monarch High School in Coconut Creek.
Students participated in a walkout last Tuesday, after their principal and other staff members were reassigned amid an investigation into the student's involvement on the girl's volleyball team.
Florida is one of the 23 states with restrictions on transgender athletes.
In 2021, Governor Ron DeSantis signed SB 1028, which states that the sex for athletic participation must be based on someone's official birth certificate -- filed at or near birth.
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The student's family sued the district and the state a few years ago -- questioning the constitutionality of the law.
Broward Schools Superintendent Peter Licata said during a news conference that a member of the community had made a complaint about the student athlete. He denied that the reassignments had anything to do with the lawsuit.
The student's mother, Jessica Norton, released a statement after officials announced the reassignments over the volleyball team controversy, saying in part, "“A lot of things were taken from my family this week—our privacy, sense of safety, and right to self-determination."
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She noted a pattern of outing people without permission in the LGBTQ+ community.
"There is a long history in this country of outing people against their will — forced outing, particularly of a child, is a direct attempt to endanger the person being outed," Norton stated. "We kindly ask everyone to respect our family’s privacy, and to give our family the space we need to speak to our experience on our own terms and timeline.”
Norton also took a moment to thank those who have shown love and support.
“The outpouring of love and support from our community this past week has been inspiring, selfless and brave," Norton expressed. "Watching our community's resistance and display of love has been so joyous for our family — the light leading us through this darkness. I want everyone to know that we see you, and we are so grateful for you.”
Jordan Campbell, the captain of the girls' volleyball team, told NBC6 last Wednesday that she's worried about her teammate and that she hasn't returned to school.
