New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association legal counsel Steve Goodell affirmed the organization’s transgender policy during Wednesday’s Executive Committee meeting, indicating there will be no immediate changes at this time.
This came despite President Donald Trump’s recent executive order that threatens to rescind funds from educational programs that allow transgender women and girls to compete in women’s and girls’ sports.
The NJSIAA policy, originally adopted in 2009 and amended in 2017, allows transgender athletes to compete in either the gender they identify with or the gender they were assigned at birth, but not both, and does not allow an athlete to switch sport genders during a season.
The policy also has a provision allowing schools to challenge the ability of a transgender athlete to compete if they feel the competition is adversely impacted.
“We have had no hearings, no controversies,” Goodell said. “No one has brought to our attention any transgender students. Our policy was designed to be consistent with state law.”
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Goodell said that should a challenge come forth, it would be “between the school, student and state… the NJSIAA would not get involved in that dispute.”
The NJSIAA, the governing body for high school sports in New Jersey, defines a transgender student as a student whose gender identity differs from the sex assigned at birth. It is up to the student to declare their gender identity before athletic competition in high school. No medical test is required.
A transgender male (one who was born female but identifies as male) can play girls sports or boys sports, but not both. They could not play boys basketball in the winter, then run track on the girls team in the spring. Likewise, a transgender female can’t play girls soccer in the fall then play boys lacrosse in the spring.
NJSIAA rules state that the decision on which gender must be made by the transgender student before they try out or practice with a team. A transgender athlete can’t try out for the boys baseball team and then switch to softball if they are cut.
Goodell said the NJSIAA has not kept records on the number of transgender athletes since the policy was first approved.
At the college level, the NCAA, which is governed by member schools in all 50 states, changed its policy after Trump’s executive order.
The NCAA banned transgender women from competing on women’s teams earlier this month. That decision came two months after NCAA president Charlie Baker told a Senate committee that there are “less than 10” transgender athletes in the NCAA.
NJSIAA transfer rule stands again
Before delving into the transgender policy, Goodell told the Executive Committee about two recent cases brought against the NJSIAA involving their transfer rules.
The first was heard in Essex County and involved a female ice hockey player who wished to play on a boys team despite her school offering a girls team. NJSIAA bylaws state that girls have to play on the girls team if their school has one. The judge ruled in favor of the NJSIAA in that case.
Another case, heard in Bergen County, involved a male wrestler who transferred after the start of the season and sought the ability to compete in the state tournament. The NJSIAA rules state that if a transfer happens after the season begins, the athlete is subject to a 30-day sit policy and is ineligible for the state tournament.
Again, the judge ruled in favor of the NJSIAA. Goodell pointed out that this was the third piece of the NJSIAA’s transfer rule that had been challenged, and all three verdicts have gone in the organization’s favor.
New MVP Award for hockey
NJSIAA chief operating officer Tony Maselli announced that the New Jersey Devils will bestow a Most Valuable Player award named for the Gaudreau Brothers after each of the four state ice hockey finals at the Prudential Center on Monday, March 10.
Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau were both hockey stars at Gloucester Catholic before embarking on successful college and pro careers. They were killed in an accident in South Jersey last August.
Maselli said the NJSIAA is inviting members of the Gaudreau family to attend the state championship games.
Lights on at state basketball games
NJSIAA assistant director Al Stumpf informed the committee that all group semifinal sites for the state basketball tournaments have been equipped with backboard lights designed to go off when the clock hits zero.
This is in direct action related to the controversy in last year’s Camden-Manasquan basketball game, won by Camden after referees overturned a basket made by Manasquan in the final seconds. Video replay seemed to indicate the Manasquan shot should have counted.
Stumpf also said that a fourth referee would be assigned at games from the sectional finals on to sit at the scorers table, with their exact responsibilities undefined.