Vermont high school snowboard coach is suing after being fired for telling two students that trans women have a competitive advantage over female athletes because of their biology
Vermont high school snowboard coach is suing after being fired for telling two students that trans women have a competitive advantage over female athletes because of their biology
- David Bloch founded snowboarding at Woodstock Union High School in Vermont
- The suit alleges that he took part in a conversation between two about a female trans snowboarder
- He says he was fired because he noticed biological differences between men and women
A Vermont high school snowboard coach is suing his former employers after they fired him over what he said was his “expressing his beliefs as a Roman Catholic” about transgender athletes.
David Bloch was the founder of the snowboard team at Woodstock Union High School and ran the program for over a decade with great success.
The conservative group Alliance Defending Freedom filed a lawsuit on his behalf in US court on Monday.
The lawsuit alleges that Bloch took part in a conversation between two of his snowboarders who spoke about a transgender female snowboarder taking on cisgender women.
It claims he said people “express themselves differently,” but “biologically speaking, men and women have different DNA, so men develop differently.”
David Bloch, a former Vermont high school snowboard coach, is suing his former employers after they fired him for saying he expressed his faith “as a Roman Catholic” about transgender athletes.
He then added that these biological differences generally give cisgender men competitive advantages in athletics.
The conversation lasted three minutes and Bloch assumed nothing was wrong, but the next day Windsor Central Supervisory Union superintendent Sherry Sousa fired him for violating the district’s Harassment, Hazing, and Bullying (HHB) and Vermont Principals’ Association (VPA) policies when a complaint was filed.
Sousa, the lawsuit states, said Bloch “created an objectively abusive environment and constituted harassment based on gender identity, justifying dismissal” by using “disparaging names.”
Alliance Defending Freedom alleges that Sousa fired Bloch before an investigation was completed, alleging that Sousa has a transgender child.
Bloch was the founder of the snowboard team at Woodstock Union High School
The lawsuit alleges that Bloch participated in a conversation between two of his snowboarders who spoke about a female transgender snowboarder taking on cisgender women
They claim that Bloch “engaged in constitutionally protected activities” and was merely expressing his views as a Roman Catholic.
“For more than a decade, Dave has led the Woodstock Union snowboarding program to tremendous success, both in terms of athletic achievement and the personal growth of the snowboarders,” they wrote.
“But because he merely expressed his opinion that men and women are biologically different and questioned the fitness of a teenage boy competing against teenage girls in an athletic competition, school district officials unconstitutionally fired him,” added Mathew Hoffmann, ADF legal counsel.
Sousa and the Windsor Central Supervisory Union Board are among the defendants named in the lawsuit, as well as local and state agency leaders.
Windsor Central Supervisory Union Superintendent Sherry Sousa (pictured) fired Bloch for violating the district’s Harassment, Hazing, and Bullying (HHB) and Vermont Principals’ Association (VPA) policies when a complaint was filed
“The First Amendment allows Dave, and every other American, to freely express his opinion on a matter of great public concern without punishment from the government.”
Hoffman demands that Bloch get his job back and that the school district and Sousa be warned about “harassment” policies against government employees.
Sousa and Windsor Central Supervisory Union Board have returned requests for comment.