By PoliticalBourbon.com Staff Writer
August 21, 2025 – Palatine, IL
In a heated special meeting of the Township High School District 211 Board of Education on August 20, 2025, parents and community members voiced strong opposition to the inclusion of a transgender student, described as a biological male, on the girls’ volleyball team at Conant High School. The meeting, held at the G.A. McElroy Administration Center in Palatine, Illinois, drew a packed audience and highlighted deep divisions over issues of fairness, safety, and privacy in girls’ sports.
Angela Chrisman, a district resident and mother of a Conant High School student, emerged as a key voice in the debate. Chrisman, who has over 20 years of experience as a high school teacher, including time in District 211, emphasized that the issue transcends politics and focuses on protecting the rights of all students. “This is about protecting the privacy rights and safety of all students in our district,” Chrisman told the board. She argued that allowing biological males into girls’ private spaces, such as locker rooms and bathrooms, infringes on the constitutional rights of female students.
Chrisman invoked basic civics principles, stating, “The constitutional rights and freedoms that every American enjoys only go so far as the next person’s rights.” She highlighted the discomfort and potential violation of privacy when girls must change clothes, manage menstrual cycles, or use facilities alongside biological males. “If biological gender didn’t matter in bathrooms, locker rooms, and sports teams, then we wouldn’t have a separation of all of those things now,” she added.
The controversy reportedly stems from a 6’4″ transgender student joining the team, prompting concerns about physical advantages and safety risks. Multiple speakers referenced the case of Payton McNabb, a North Carolina high school volleyball player who suffered severe injuries, including black eyes, fractures, brain damage, and partial paralysis, after being spiked in the face by a biological male opponent traveling at 70 mph. “It ended her athletic career,” said John Goodman, another speaker and U.S. Senate candidate, who urged the board to prioritize fairness and safety over inclusion at any cost.
Adding fuel to the fire, several parents alleged that the longtime coach of the Conant girls’ volleyball team resigned amid the uproar. Karen Powers, a Hoffman Estates resident and parent of a District 211 graduate, praised the coach’s decision: “A longtime beloved coach of the girls’ volleyball team quit. And if she is here or watching, I have the utmost respect for you standing firm on your morals and values.” While the board did not confirm the resignation during the meeting, speakers claimed it was a direct response to the district’s policy allowing the transgender athlete to participate.
District 211’s policy on transgender students dates back to a 2017 lawsuit that compelled the board to permit access to facilities and teams aligned with gender identity. Chrisman criticized the policy as a “guideline” rather than law, noting it was implemented amid fears of bullying accusations and job losses for dissenting teachers. “The students were told that if they spoke up they would be in violation of the school’s bullying policy,” she said, adding that parental voices were dismissed as “disruptive and discriminatory.”
Not all speakers opposed the policy. Supporters, including Kristen Wagner, a parent of a non-binary graduate, defended transgender rights, arguing that every child deserves full participation in school activities. “Trans boys are boys, trans girls are girls,” Wagner said, expressing disappointment in what she called “bigotry” from community members. Isan Shravasiva, a recent Fremd High School graduate, echoed this sentiment, decrying the meeting as an attack on one student: “We are here for a special board meeting about one kid on a Conant volleyball team who has done nothing wrong at all.”
The meeting grew tense, with one disruption leading to a recess and the removal of an audience member accused of threatening a speaker. Board President Matthew Van Dyke warned that further interruptions could end public comments entirely.
Critics argue the district’s stance violates Title IX protections for female athletes and a recent federal executive order aimed at preserving sex-based distinctions in sports. Powers warned of potential lawsuits and loss of federal funding, questioning why the board has “stopped following the science” on biological differences.
Proponents of the policy, however, point to Illinois state law under the Human Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on gender identity. Jerry Freda, a longtime resident, noted that only three transgender athletes received waivers to compete in girls’ sports statewide last year, about 0.001% of Illinois high school athletes, urging perspective and adherence to the law.
As the school year begins, the debate underscores broader national tensions over transgender participation in sports. Parents like Chrisman called for alternatives, such as separate facilities or leagues for transgender students, funded from the district’s budget surpluses. “The current policy is trampling on the rights of every other girl,” she said.
District 211 officials did not respond to questions during the meeting, adhering to their no-dialogue policy for public comments. The board adjourned after entering a closed session, with no immediate actions announced.
PoliticalBourbon.com will continue to monitor developments in this story. For video of the meeting, visit YouTube.
