Mid Vermont Christian School has been banned from participating in sporting events in the wake of its decision to forfeit a girls’ basketball playoff game rather than play against a team with a transgender student-athlete.

The Vermont Principals’ Association, the governing body for high school sports in the state, wrote in a letter to MVCS on Monday that the Quechee school’s decision violated two VPA policies — on “commitment to racial, gender-fair, and disability awareness” and on “gender identity.” The decision was made following a meeting of the VPA’s Executive Council earlier Monday.

“The result was a determination that policies have been violated at the school level, thus there is an immediate determination of ineligibility for Mid Vermont Christian in VPA sanctioned activities and tournaments going forward,” the VPA wrote in a corresponding news release.

The Eagles’ girls basketball team, seeded 12th in the Division IV postseason, refused to play its first-round game at No. 5 seed Long Trail on Feb. 21 because of a transgender female player on the Mountain Lions’ roster. VPA policy provides students to participate in sports and other activities “in a manner consistent with their gender identity,” and “discrimination based on a student’s actual or perceived sex and gender” constitutes a violation of the policy.

MVCS’ ban is indefinite and will take effect immediately.

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