On February 26th, MoreThanTheCurve.com reported on a federal civil rights lawsuit involving the Colonial School District. A mother at a Quakertown school filed the lawsuit after her daughter came in second to a trans female competing for Plymouth Whitemarsh High School’s girls cross country team. The Colonial School District was one of five defendants in the case, which also included the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, the United States Department of Education, and the Quakertown Community School District.
Dates are important. The two runners faced each other twice in 2024. During this time, the athletic association had a policy that allowed a school’s principal to determine whether a trans athlete could compete for a single sex team other than that of their biological sex.
This policy was amended by the association on February 19, 2025 (minutes, No. 15), following an executive order issued by President Donald Trump on February 5, 2025. President Trump’s executive order aims to prohibit trans females from competing on sports teams and in competitions for women and girls.
The association’s board approved the removal of its transgender policy from its policy and procedures manual in response to President Trump’s executive order. The board then approved an amendment to its regulations regarding mixed-gender participation in a sport.
The amended regulations changed the term “gender” to “sex,” and when there is a question or uncertainty, the decision is now the school’s, not solely the principal’s. The updated regulation then states that “schools are required to consult with their school solicitors relative to compliance with the [Executive] Order.”
The civil rights lawsuit brought by the Quakertown mother falls under the pre-Trump policy.
The Plymouth Whitemarsh High School trans athlete qualified for and competed in the indoor track and field state championship on March 2nd. That falls under the new athletic association policy and executive order.
The executive order threatens to “rescind funding to programs that fail to comply with the policy established in this order.” President Trump reiterated the possibility of the loss of funding during his March 4th address to Congress.
MoreThanTheCurve.com asked the members of the Colonial School Board about how it is handling the updated policy from the athletic association, whether it intends to file a lawsuit over the executive order, and how it will mitigate any lost funding. The specific answers and questions are below.
Question from MoreThanTheCurve.com: The PIAA has placed the onus on schools to make the decision about whether a trans student can compete on a team other than that of their biological sex. The previous PIAA policy empowered the principal to make the decision. That wording was recently changed to “school.” Within the Colonial School District, who is making the decision?
Response from Colonial School Board: “The administration is making the decision in consultation with the Board of School Directors and the district solicitor.”
Question from MoreThanTheCurve.com: Has the school district filed or is it considering filing a lawsuit to challenge the executive order?
Response from the Colonial School Board: “We do not comment on matters of litigation.”
Question from MoreThanTheCurve.com: Has the school board prepared a plan to mitigate any financial impact to the district if the district loses federal funding as threatened by President Trump?
Response from the Colonial School Board: “The School Board is unaware at this time of any financial impact to the district with regard to federal funding, and there are still many legal uncertainties regarding the executive order. As it does every year, the Board will use available information to plan a budget that is fiscally responsible and that balances the needs of taxpayers and students alike.”
MoreThanTheCurve.com will follow this issue specific to the Colonial School District and provide updates as needed.