A transgender student’s participation on the girls’ varsity track team at a Long Island high school has sparked intense debate within the community and raised questions about the potential loss of federal funding for the school district under a recent White House executive order.
The student, a 14-year-old freshman at William Floyd High School in Shirley, who stands six feet tall, has “socially transitioned” to female but is not undergoing hormone treatment and retains biological male characteristics. Since joining the girls’ track team in March for the spring season, the student’s involvement has deeply divided local opinion, leading to numerous rallies both supporting and opposing their participation.
Senior Genesis Alfaro, a member of William Floyd’s varsity flag-football team, expressed support for the student, telling the New York Post, “I say let her run.” However, opponents argue that the student’s biological male status confers an unfair advantage in competition. An anonymous parent commented, “It’s wrong. It’s not about hate, it’s about fairness. Imagine you practice, practice, practice, and then this kid comes along who is biologically a boy and dominates because he has a physical advantage. It’s not fair.”
Reports indicate some female athletes noticed the student running considerably faster during practice warm-ups. According to coverage by the South Shore Press, one girls’ varsity track team member said that while the team runs at the same pace during warm-ups, the transgender student “bolts” ahead of everyone else. Additionally, a group of student-athletes expressed discomfort at the prospect of sharing locker rooms with a transgender athlete. The South Shore Press reported that the transgender athlete has been allowed to use the girls’ locker room, but a plastic sheet was installed to separate them from their female teammates.
Beyond the local sports implications, the student’s participation has raised concerns about compliance with federal regulations. In February, then-President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the government to withdraw federal funding from schools that permit transgender athletes to compete on teams aligning with their gender identity instead of biological sex. Trump stated that such situations are “demeaning, unfair, and dangerous to women and girls, and denies women and girls the equal opportunity to participate and excel in competitive sports.”
William Floyd School District, which serves nearly 10,000 students and receives over $1,500 per student in federal funding—amounting to a potential loss of more than $13 million—faces uncertainty over how to proceed. Some parents have petitioned local school officials to address the issue, but feedback has been limited. One parent noted, “The district has to make a decision: abide by federal law or continue letting a biological boy compete on a girls team.” The William Floyd School District did not respond to a request for comment from the New York Post.
The issue has echoes beyond this district. Representative Elise Stefanik, a New York congresswoman, recently called for a federal investigation into another school district upstate for an alleged “direct violation” of Trump’s directive. New York state law currently prohibits schools from barring transgender students from participating on sports teams consistent with their gender identity, creating a conflict with the federal executive order. Governor Kathy Hochul’s office declined to comment, but New York Attorney General Letitia James described Trump’s order as “legally ineffective,” stating, “We understand that presidential threats to withhold funding are intimidating. But they are also beyond the president’s authority,” in comments made to the New York Post on behalf of the state’s Education Department.
The controversy is not limited to New York. Last week, the Trump administration moved to cut all federal education funds from Maine for permitting transgender athletes to compete on girls’ teams, prompting the state’s governor, Janet Mills, to pursue legal action. Depending on the outcome of the Maine case, other states with protections for transgender athletes, including California and New York, may face similar financial consequences.
This unfolding situation highlights the complex intersection of sports participation, transgender rights, federal and state law, and educational funding. William Floyd High School remains at the centre of this debate as community members, officials, and lawmakers continue to respond.
Source: Noah Wire Services