Michigan Teen Sues School After Unknowingly Sharing Locker Room With Transgender Athlete

A Michigan high school student is pursuing legal action against her school district, alleging that she and her teammates unknowingly shared a locker room with a transgender athlete during a volleyball match. Briley Lechner, a 16-year-old varsity player at Monroe High School, filed a federal lawsuit on October 9 with her father, Sean, against Monroe Public Schools, the Michigan High School Athletic Association, and school officials.

The lawsuit stems from a September 9, 2025, match against Ann Arbor’s Skyline High School. Lechner told Fox News Digital that she only learned days later that a transgender athlete from the opposing team had allegedly been present in the girls' locker room, where players routinely changed and took photos. She expressed feeling frightened and disrespected, emphasizing the importance of privacy for female athletes.

"What's very scary is that the day that this happened, I had no clue that there was a boy on the other team," Lechner stated. "I personally think that this is a very point-blank situation. I think it's very straightforward. There should not be males competing in female sports."

The Thomas More Law Center, which announced the lawsuit, stated that school officials allegedly concealed the presence of a biological male on the opposing team and dismissed the family's Title IX discrimination complaint without providing a meaningful appeal process.

Richard Thompson, president and chief counsel of the Thomas More Law Center, commented, "This lawsuit is about much more than a single volleyball game. It’s about whether public school officials can, with deliberative indifference, knowingly sacrifice the rights of female athletes to accommodate a biological male athlete, conceal that decision from the girls and their parents, and then evade accountability under federal law and the U.S. Constitution."

Lechner highlighted the significance of the case for female athletes pursuing sports at higher levels. "Some girls want to play at a collegiate level, and so this is everyone's, like their life sometimes. They put their tears, their sweat, everything into it," she said, adding that the issue extends beyond high school sports to college and all age ranges.

In response, Andrew Shaw, superintendent of Monroe Public Schools, stated that the district was aware of reports but had not yet been served with the lawsuit. He affirmed the district's commitment to adhering to state and federal guidelines and laws, and to student safety, and would address the matter through legal channels if initiated. The Michigan High School Athletic Association also issued a statement, asserting that its policies have long complied with federal and state law and that it believes the claims are legally unsound. The association stated it would defend its position through the legal process and declined further comment due to the ongoing litigation.