Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here.
Manhattan school board asks city to review policy for transgender athletes
MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11) – A controversial vote from a Manhattan school board Wednesday night could lead to changes in the rules governing transgender athletes in girls' public school sports.
Community Education Council District 2, which serves the Lower East Side to the Upper East Side, passed the measure demanding the city's Department of Education have a public review of the policy currently allowing trans athletes to play girls' sports.
Parents and teachers condemned the resolution. The city currently allows trans athletes to compete in girls' sports based on their gender identity, not their sex assigned at birth.
The resolution, which also calls for more community input from athletes, parents, coaches, medical professionals and evolutional biology experts, passed eight to three.
Alaina Daniels, the cofounder of Transformative Schools, said trans children and educators are under attack.
It comes just weeks after Nassau County banned transgender women from competing on girls' and women's teams at public sports facilities. Caitlyn Jenner appeared with Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman on Tuesday to publicly support the measure.
Schools Chancellor David Banks called the resolution "despicable," and said New York City public schools stand strongly behind its current guidelines.