A girls high school basketball team in Vermont withdrew from the state’s playoff tournament last Tuesday because it refused to play against a team that had a biological male on its roster.

Valley News reported that the No. 12 seed Mid Vermont Christian School girls basketball team forfeited their game against No. 5 seed Long Trail because the team did not believe it was fair to play against a transgender athlete.

“We believe playing against an opponent with a biological male jeopardizes the fairness of the game and the safety of our players,” MVCS head of school Vicky Fogg said in a statement. “Allowing biological males to participate in women’s sports sets a bad precedent for the future of women’s sports in general.”

Lauren Thomas, an assistant executive director for the Vermont Principals’ Association, confirmed to the local publication that the school had withdrawn from the tournament.

“I have received calls (from schools) asking for best practices and how to go forward knowing they were going to play a team with a transgender female on it,” Thomas said. “We just supported our stance and our best practices through our inclusivity statement.”

The school launched in September 1987 with its mission to “glorify God by preparing students for college and for life through a program of academic excellence established in Biblical truth.”

The school says that despite its small size, its “sports teams have excelled wonderfully in the region with many winning seasons” and that it “continues to provide an academic program that significantly outperforms its public school counterparts in the state (based on SAT testing).”

Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis released a new digital ad Sunday night rallying conservatives to fight for freedom ahead of a potential 2024 presidential run.

“When the world lost its mind… when common sense suddenly became an uncommon virtue… Florida was a refuge of sanity, a citadel of freedom for our fellow Americans and even for people around the world,” DeSantis said in the nearly two-minute video.

The ad features numerous major figures at Fox News — including Laura Ingraham, Jesse Watters, Dana Perino, and Lisa Boothe — touting DeSantis’ repeated successes while serving as the governor of Florida.

“Florida’s success has been made more difficult by the floundering federal establishment in Washington, DC., an inflationary spending binge that has left our nation weaker and our citizens poorer,” DeSantis says later in the video. “It has enacted pandemic restrictions and mandates. It has recklessly facilitated open borders. It has imposed an energy policy that has crippled our nation’s domestic production. This has caused many to be pessimistic about the country’s future. Some even say that failure is inevitable. Florida is proof positive that we the people are not destined for failure.”

DeSantis continues by highlighting the wins that his administration has secured in the state, including becoming the fastest growing state in the country, ranking #1 in education freedom, ranking #1 in economic freedom, and ranking #1 in higher public education.

“Decline is a choice. Success is attainable,” DeSantis concludes. “And freedom is worth fighting for.”

WATCH:

Gov. @RonDeSantisFL just dropped this EPIC video contrasting DC's insanity with his success making Florida thrive.

Proud to be a Floridian — born and raised! 🌴🐊 pic.twitter.com/pCx3dFA4Ae

— Giancarlo Sopo (@GiancarloSopo) February 26, 2023

TRANSCRIPT:

RON DESANTIS: When the world lost its mind… when common sense suddenly became an uncommon virtue… Florida was a refuge of sanity, a citadel of freedom for our fellow Americans and even for people around the world.

LAURA INGRAHAM: Ron DeSantis has decided to put his people first.

JESSE WATTERS: Ron DeSantis taking a lot of heat over it, but he’s not backing down.

DESANTIS: Florida’s success has been made more difficult by the floundering federal establishment in Washington, DC., an inflationary spending binge that has left our nation weaker and our citizens poorer. It has enacted pandemic restrictions and mandates. It has recklessly facilitated open borders. It has imposed an energy policy that has crippled our nation’s domestic production. This has caused many to be pessimistic about the country’s future. Some even say that failure is inevitable. Florida is proof positive that we the people are not destined for failure.

DANA PERINO: DeSantis wins. He has made a promise and he is making good on the promise.

DESANTIS: Florida is leading the nation. We are the nation’s fastest growing state. We rank #1 in education freedom. We are #1 in economic freedom. Florida also ranks #1 in public higher education. This is a record we can all be proud of.

LISA MARIE BOOTHE: That’s why the left hates Gov. DeSantis. Because he’s a winner. That’s what he does — he wins.

DESANTIS: Decline is a choice. Success is attainable. And freedom is worth fighting for.