California H.S. Runner Fighting Legal Battle After Losing Spot On Varsity Team To Trans Athlete
Back in October, Taylor Starling lost her spot on her high school girls' varsity cross country team and was replaced by a trans-identifying male. Now, Taylor and her family are taking legal action against the school district — and California's Attorney General.
Starling, a 16-year-old student-athlete at Martin Luther King High School in Riverside, Calif., recently opened up to Fox News Digital about the experience. Sitting beside her father, Ryan, she explained that she was unfairly cast aside as the biological male received preferential treatment by the school.
READ: School Told Girls 'Transgenders Have More Rights,' Runner Took Away Girl's Varsity Spot, Parent Says
"I felt angry when I was removed from my varsity team because I knew the requirements were changed for him because he is transgender. I felt like my sacrifice, hard work, and dedication didn’t matter to my school administrators because I am a girl. It was easy for them to push me aside and that hurt," Starling told Fox News Digital.
"As far as coping with it, my family and friends have been very supportive. I also know that everything happens for a reason and God has a plan for me. I always try to find the good when things are hard and keep going."
Taylor Starling was demoted from her girls' varsity cross country team and replaced by a biological male.
(Photo Provided to Fox News Digital)
And she's not the only family member affected. Just last month, Starling had to watch her sister, Abby Starling, lose a 200-meter race to the same trans athlete who took her varsity spot in the fall.
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In November, Taylor's family filed a lawsuit against the Riverside Unified School District alongside her friend and teammate Kaitlyn Slavin. Following President Donald Trump's "Keeping Men Out Of Women's Sports" executive order in February, they added California Attorney General Rob Bonta to the suit.
"When we took this case on, we had a real heart-to-heart," their attorney, Robert Tyler, said. "I asked Taylor and Kaitlyn, 'Are you prepared to deal with this? Are you going to be able to walk through the hallways in her school and dislike you, call you names, and call you out?’ And they were."
Taylor Starling Faces Backlash Amid Her Fight For Fairness
Since her story went public, Taylor has received plenty of support on social media. But the feedback hasn't been all positive.
"Social media is pretty bad," her father, Ryan, said. "You have 99 positive comments, and then you get that one comment that has called her a bigot, has called her the ‘C’ word, has called her all kinds of names."
Demonstrators cheer during the speaking program at the "Our Bodies, Our Sports" rally for the 50th anniversary of Title IX at Freedom Plaza.
(Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Many students at Taylor's school have rallied around her, deciding every Wednesday to wear "Save Girls Sports" T-shirts — which school administrators have compared to Nazi swastikas.
"I've already been called that by the athletic director, so by now, I'm kind of used to it," Taylor said. "But it was a shock to everyone else, because he was also calling everyone else Nazis. So I think that caused a big reaction from everybody, and they were more willing to speak up against that."
California Defies Trump's Executive Order On Girls' And Women's Sports
In the state of California, student-athletes are allowed to "participate in sex-segregated school programs and activities, including athletic teams and competitions, and use facilities consistent with his or her gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the pupil’s records."
RELATED: HS Girl Gives Powerful Testimony About Being Replaced By Transgender Athlete
Earlier this month, Starling spoke at the California State Assembly to share her story in an attempt to convince state lawmakers to adopt a new policy.
Unfortunately, Starling's testimony was unable to sway the Democratic majority to change its law. Now, California risks losing federal funding for a failure to comply with Trump's executive order.
"It was very sad to see Democrat leadership in California was unable to stand up for us girls and the rights that we deserve," Starling said.
RELATED: U.S. Education Department Issues Second Warning to Maine Over Title IX Noncompliance
The Starlings hope their lawsuit can set a new precedent for gender eligibility in the state. Their first court date is set for May 15.