Florida School Board Suspends Employee Who Let Transgender Daughter Play Females Volleyball
PLANTATION, Fla. The district’s board determined on Tuesday that a Florida school staffer who let her transgender daughter play on her high school’s girls’ volleyball team broke state law but that dismissing her would be too harsh. She was suspended for 10 days.
Jessica Norton was suspended without pay by the Broward County school board 5-4 at Monarch High School, where her 16-year-old daughter played varsity volleyball for two seasons. She can no longer work as a computer information specialist but must be offered an equal-paying, responsible position.
The board found that Norton violated the state’s Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, which bans transgender girls from high school sports. In 2021, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Legislature passed it against Broward board resistance.
Board member Debbi Hixon, who sought the censure, said “Our employee made a choice not to follow the law”. She said, “It was a first offense. We would not fire someone on their first offense.”
Norton, who was suspended and placed on paid leave after the infraction was detected in November, called the vote a “incorrect decision” but said it was better than being fired. She doubted she’d accept the punishment and return to work. After being class president and homecoming princess, her daughter left the school. She wanted to discuss it with her. Perhaps they might return together, she replied.
“I did nothing wrong. Norton: Nothing.
Recently, transgender children’s treatment has been a national problem. Florida is one of 24 states that ban transgender women and girls from some women’s and girls’ sports and one of 25 states that limit gender-affirming care for kids. The Nortons filed a federal lawsuit to block Florida’s law as a civil rights violation for their daughter. Still pending.
After voting no on a five-day suspension with no job change, Hixon recommended Norton’s sentence during Tuesday’s hour-long debate. That was too mild, she said. A 5-4 vote defeated it.
Hixon contended that firing Norton, a seven-year employee with good reviews and a caring reputation among students, was excessively harsh.
“This isn’t somebody who abused or harmed children,” Hixon added. “This is really about breaking the law.”
Hixon said Norton put the district in a legal bind by falsely stating her child was female on her state athletic eligibility form. The Florida athletic organization penalized Monarch $16,500, put the school on probation, and warned that the district might be sued if another student believes Norton’s daughter kept her off the volleyball team and cost her scholarship possibilities.
Hixon wanted Norton removed as a computer information specialist because she could learn of another transgender student playing females sports and not tell administrators.
“That puts us as a school district in a bad place,” Hixon added.
The four other “yes” voters preferred a five-day suspension or no punishment but accepted the 10-day restriction as a compromise. Previous three-, five-, and 10-day punishments for employees who physically or verbally mistreated kids were used to argue Norton was being penalized too harshly.
“I believe this case is unique,” Allen Zeman said. “You are right that our (board) approach has been problematic. You’re also right that laws were breached. However, I believe we must find a solution that is compatible with others.”
Three board members agreed with Superintendent Howard Hepburn that Norton should be fired for willfully breaking the law. The committee recommended suspending Norton for 10 days, but Hepburn overruled it.
Torey Alston said Norton’s supporters’ accusations of lax suspensions shouldn’t prevent them from removing her. He said the board was giving the message that it would “go soft” on staff who break laws because they disagree.
“I have zero tolerance for breaking the law,” Alston stated.
Brenda Fam repeatedly called her child a male, sending Norton and her husband out of the meeting. Though the Fairness act primarily seeks financial punishments for school violations, Fam contended that Norton should be charged criminally. Norton was compared to a parent who lied about their child’s address to get into a better school, a crime in Florida.
Fairness stops biological females from competing with transgender girls who may be bigger and stronger, according to Fam. Norton and her supporters say her daughter has been on estrogen and puberty blockers for years and has no physical advantages over her teammates or opponents.
“This was not a question about her son or her family, it was about what she did as an employee and how she harmed others,” Fam added. She then denied misgendering Norton’s child, citing a newspaper report.
Norton claimed Fam misgendering her child to irritate her after the encounter.
“It worked. Norton: I don’t think school board members should misgender children. “It’s terrible.”