A transgender softball player has sparked calls of unfairness after leading a Minneapolis high school to their first state championship appearance, Outkick reported on Thursday.
Melissa Rothenberger, who is a biological male, dominated the field on Wednesday when Minneapolis suburban Champlin Park High School defeated White Bear Lake High 3-2. Rothenberger had finished the game with two doubles and pitched a complete game without substitution. Champlin Park will now play for the Group 4A championship on Friday for the school’s first chance at a state title.
Champlin Park coach Bryan Woodley praised Rothenberger’s performance telling the Twin Cities Pioneer Press, “She’s always clutch. I think she’s the best center fielder in the state. She’s just a great all-around player.”
Parents of White Bear Lake were less impressed with Champlin Park’s use of a biological male to bring the team out of obscurity and to within one game of the state championship. One father told the outlet his daughter broke down in tears after what they deemed an unfair victory, pleading, “Why can’t you do something?”
Earlier in the day, Champlin Park shut out Eagen High School 5-0, thanks again to Rothenberger’s efforts with many parents on the losing team wearing “Save Girls Sports” T-shirts.
One mother, who asked not to be identified to protect her daughter, said, “I was pretty disappointed and frustrated,” adding, “I think we’ve seen this happen over and over again to our girls. You look online, and you see women transitioning to men, and they’re not dominating any of the men’s sports. You don’t see that. But on the women’s side, you see it over and over again across the country. It’s super frustrating. I knew it was eventually going to happen to my daughter. I was sad to see it happen to her.”
Although President Donald Trump has vowed to fine those states who defy his executive order regarding Title IX, many states have chosen to ignore it. In April, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison filed a preemptive lawsuit against the Trump administration over the issues of transgender athletes in sports, saying, “Minnesota brings this lawsuit to stop President Trump and his administration from bullying vulnerable children in this state.”
Another White Bear Lake father told Outkick he is now reassessing his past votes for Democrats following the ruling this past spring that determined boys should be allowed to participate in girls’ sports.
“You’re looking at a whole team of future Republicans,” the father added.
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