A women’s college basketball team in Canada is refusing to play a Christian university’s team over allegations of abuse against a trans athlete. The Christian school has denied all allegations. Vancouver Island University released a statement on Wednesday announcing it will not play its upcoming games against Columbia Bible College.
According to the school, a Columbia Bible coach spoke to a transgender player in a way that violated the Coach’s Code of Ethics. They stated that “Intimidation, harassment, and discrimination have no place in athletics,” the statement stated. “VIU stands in full support of our student-athletes and affirms the right of all athletes to compete in an environment that prioritizes their safety and well-being.”
The school has also made a complaint to the Pacific Western Athletic Association (PACWEST). Columbia Bible said “This was surprising news to us,” their statement read. “CBC stands for safe play for all. Accusations that CBC, its coaches, players, and fans are a safety threat are simply untrue and misinformed.“ They added that the university was developing a safety plan, which included added security for the games that involved the trans athlete.
“CBC has a reputation for providing a safe environment, however, out of an abundance of caution, CBC in cooperation with PACWEST, developed an event safety plan specifically for these games. We received input from VIU and the Abbotsford Police Department. This plan included extra security among other measures,” the statement explained.
The Vancouver Island team signed a letter saying they did not feel safe playing at Columbia Bible after the October incident. Third-year forward Harriette Mackenzie, is openly transgender. The player alleges that Columbia Bible head coach Taylor “cornered one of our athletic staff and went on a tirade about how I shouldn’t be allowed to play.”
The player states that she was deliberately fouled to the ground by a Columbia Bible player “I got two-hand chucked to the ground by No. 13 without a play on the ball in sight, then head coach Clagett can be seen applauding in support,” the controversial athlete said. Clagett posted her statement on Instagram, disputing the allegations.
“My intention has nothing to do with a specific athlete, but instead, the safety of female athletes in their sport,” she explained. Vancouver Island wrote that “VIU strictly adheres to the rules and regulations established by PACWEST and the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), including the CCAA’s policy on transgender student-athlete participation.”
The PACWEST conference stated that “The PACWEST is aware that participation of transgender student-athletes has recently received public attention…PACWEST follows national policies and procedures for all sports that lead into CCAA championships, including the CCAA’s policy on transgender student-athlete participation.” They also stated that “Furthermore, the PACWEST encourages everyone to engage in education through the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) with their findings around diversity and inclusion and transgender people in sport. Creating a safe and inclusive environment for all participants is a shared responsibility.“ Trans participation in women’s sports has remained controversial, with teams falling on both sides of the issue.