Description: Vermont officials are denying Mid Vermont Christian School and its students from participating in the state’s tuition program and sports league because of their religious beliefs. Vermont, through its Agency of Education and Vermont Principals’ Association, requires private, religious schools like Mid Vermont Christian to adopt the state’s view on human sexuality and gender—namely, that sex is mutable and biological differences do not matter—as a condition to participate in the state’s tuition program and athletic association. Doing so violates the First Amendment rights of Mid Vermont Christian, its students and families, and other faith-based schools by preventing them from practicing their religious beliefs about sexuality and gender.
Vermont Christian school, banned from state-sponsored sports two years ago, appeals to 2nd Circuit
ADF attorneys available for media interviews following oral arguments Wednesday
Tuesday, Apr 8, 2025
WHO: Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys and Mid Vermont girls’ basketball coach Chris Goodwin
WHAT: Available for media interviews following oral arguments in Mid Vermont Christian School v. Saunders
WHEN: Immediately following oral arguments, which begin at 10 a.m. EDT, Wed., April 9
WHERE: U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit, Thurgood Marshall U.S. Courthouse, Room 1505, 40 Foley Sq., New York. To schedule an interview, contact ADF Media Relations Manager Jacqueline Ribeiro at (202) 961-9396.
NEW YORK – Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys representing Mid Vermont Christian School and one of its families will be available for media interviews Wednesday following oral arguments in Mid Vermont Christian School v. Saunders. The school and family are challenging Vermont officials for expelling the Christian school and its students from the state’s athletics association two years ago because of their religious beliefs and exercise.
Mid Vermont Christian School is a faith-based pre-K-12 school, located in Quechee, whose religious beliefs drive and form the foundation for everything it does. In 2023, the Vermont Principals’ Association kicked Mid Vermont out of its athletic association because the school forfeited a girls’ basketball game against another girls’ team with a male athlete because competing would have violated the school’s religious convictions.
“The government cannot punish religious schools—and the families they serve—by permanently kicking them out of the state-sponsored sports because the state disagrees with their religious beliefs,” said ADF Senior Counsel and Vice President of U.S. Litigation David Cortman, who will be arguing before the court. “Now, for nearly two years, Mid Vermont Christian has been denied a public benefit available to all other schools in Vermont just because it stood by the widely held, commonsense belief that boys and girls are different. We are urging the court to uphold constitutional protections by guaranteeing the school can fully participate while still adhering to its religious beliefs.”
“I never thought I would be in court for simply adhering to my biblical and commonsense belief that boys and girls are different,” said Chris Goodwin, coach of the girls’ basketball team. “At Mid Vermont Christian School, we strive to exemplify biblical truth in and through everything we do. The state of Vermont is excluding us from competing in sports for those very beliefs. As a coach, I always want my team to compete and play in fair and safe competitions. As a dad, I want my daughter to know that she should always stand up for her beliefs and should never be punished for that decision.”
Although the VPA’s general policy is to prohibit boys from playing on girls’ sports teams “to protect opportunities for girl athletes,” it recently adopted policies that allow males who identify as female to participate in girls’ sports. The VPA is demanding Mid Vermont’s girls’ teams play against teams with male athletes or not play at all. The VPA refuses to let Mid Vermont in unless the school capitulates, justifying its actions by using discretionary policies applied on a “case-by-case basis.”
Despite 28 years of prior participation in the league, the school is now barred from all VPA athletics—effectively blacklisting the school from all Vermont-sponsored sporting events in the state—simply for forfeiting one single basketball game.
Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, and the sanctity of life.
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