Last year, a Vermont high school snowboard coach was fired for stating that boys tend to have an advantage over girls in sports. David Bloch made the comments in an attempt to defuse a heated argument between two students about whether it was fair to let trans-identifying male athletes compete against girls.  

This month, almost a year later, Vermont school officials agreed to pay the former coach $75,000 in damages, acknowledging that he, in fact, “did not violate a state-mandated policy prohibiting harassment, hazing, and bullying.”  

Regardless of how a person identifies, physical realities mean that boys have a competitive advantage over girls in sports. According to one study, even men who have taken estrogen for two years retained competitive advantage.  

Bloch’s lawyer, Tyson Langhofer of the Alliance Defending Freedom, said that the settlement isn’t about the money. It’s about “stand[ing] up” for the right to say what’s true. After all, Langhofer said, “No teacher should ever lose their job for speaking the truth.”