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The list of Minnesota school board members who signed a letter urging state agencies to protect women’s sports from trans athletes has grown since its release earlier this week.
As of Friday afternoon, the number of school board members who signed the letter was 245, covering 104 school districts across the state. The same list had only about 40 signatures on Tuesday.
The additional signatures come as the state faces a Friday deadline for the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) to amend its policies to keep biological males out of women’s sports. The DOE determined in late September that the state violated Title IX with its current policies.
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The letter is addressed to Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) Commissioner Willie Jett, Minnesota State High School League (MHSSL) Executive Director Erich Martens and Board President Brett Schimek, and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. Governor Tim Walz has a copy of the letter.
“Compliance with Title IX is not only a legal obligation but also essential to maintaining the integrity of our educational and athletic programs,” the letter says.
“Protecting equity in women’s sports is paramount. The federal determination highlights how allowing men to compete on women’s teams displaces female athletes from the podiums, denies them opportunities for advancement, and diminishes their visibility and recognition in competitions.
“Female students in our districts and across Minnesota deserve equal opportunities to excel in sports, free from the unfair physical advantages conferred by biological differences. By entering into the settlement agreement, MDE and MSHSL can ensure equal treatment and foster an environment where female athletes can thrive.”
Ellison responded to the letter, insisting that allowing men to participate in women’s sports “doesn’t hurt anyone.”
“School sports are not just a good way to get exercise, they help kids build friendships, make them feel like they belong and teach them important life lessons, like how to work as a team, how to treat their competitors with respect and how to win with grace and lose with dignity,” Ellison said. “Letting a small number of transgender students in Minnesota play on their school sports teams doesn’t hurt anyone, but segregating them does. The exclusion is a violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act, which has protected the rights of trans children to participate in all extracurricular activities for decades.
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“I, too, am concerned about the Trump administration’s threats to cut funding for children’s education across Minnesota, but this matter is before the courts right now,” he added. “The federal government’s threats violate the U.S. Constitution, Minnesota law, and Title IX itself. I am fighting to prevent these harmful cuts, stop the Administration’s harassment of transgender children who just want to live their lives in peace, and protect the rights and freedoms of all of our students in Minnesota.”
Ellison’s response comes even as several high school student-athletes in her state have spoken out about how the experience of facing trans athletes has impacted them, while some have even filed a lawsuit over the issue.
Three unnamed girls filed a lawsuit against state education agencies in the spring after having to compete against a transgender softball pitcher.
One of the plaintiffs previously told Pak Gazette Digital what it was like to play against the trans pitcher.
“This issue has affected me in a way I never imagined. It’s just unfair and I hate that nothing is happening to change that,” the player said. “Boys shouldn’t be able to take girls’ spots on teams just because they’re capable of doing so. I hope more girls affected by this issue face this.”
Another anonymous player directly criticized Ellison for supporting policies that have allowed the trans pitcher to play against women.
“It’s really disturbing to know that [Ellison] is not taking the rights of girls and women seriously. “You’re allowing boys to compete with girls, and that’s not safe and it’s completely unfair,” the player previously told Pak Gazette Digital. “To know that AG Ellison fully supports allowing boys and men to take advantage of women in sports is absolutely disgusting and wrong.”
Former White Bear Lake High School softball player Kendall Kotzmacher She previously told Pak Gazette Digital that losing to a trans pitcher in the state tournament left her in tears.
“How do you recognize that you lost to a biological man? How do you process those events that happened? And that was something all night, I still couldn’t do it… We lost to a biological man in a girls state tournament,” Kotzmacher said.
Kotzmacher also highlighted Walz’s history as a high school football coach and saw up close the physical prowess of high school male athletes.
“As a coach, you should see the differences and the big difference there is between biological men and biological women,” Kotzmacher told Pak Gazette Digital.
If Minnesota state agencies do not reach an agreement with the Trump administration by the end of Friday, it will likely result in a lawsuit from the Department of Justice (DOJ).
The Justice Department has already filed similar lawsuits against Maine and California over the issue.
The MDE and MSHSSL did not immediately respond to Pak Gazette Digital’s request for comment.
