Suspended Monarch High administrators cleared in trans athlete probe
FORT LAUDERDALE - Monarch High School's principal, assistant principal and athletic director resumed their duties Wednesday. They are no longer part an investigation into possible violations of a 2021 state law by allowing a transgender girl to play on the girls' varsity volleyball team.
"I'm glad he's back and that the school will be back to normal," said Tatiana Castro, mother of a student, talking about the school's principal.
"I really disagree because why not put somebody else," said Lucianne Oliva, also a student's parent but who has serious doubts about allowing the administrators back at their positions.
"By removing the principal, they thought everything would be solved, I'm glad he is back," said Nelly Pino, who was picking up her daughter from school.
Wednesday's decision came from the Broward County School Board Investigative Unit, they sent CBS News Miami the following statement:
"The investigation cleared Principal James Cecil, Assistant Principal Kenneth May and Athletic Director Dione Hester of the allegations."
"The three employees will resume their responsibilities effective Wednesday, May 22, 2024."
"The investigation remains ongoing on the fourth Monarch employee included in the probe."
-"They sent us an email today saying they concluded the investigation and he (the school principal) was just back into his position," said Castro.
In December, the Florida High School Athletic Association fined the Coconut Creek School $16,500 and put it on administrative probation until November 2024. The trans student, a 10th grader who played in 33 matches over the last two seasons, was also banned from representing the school.
The FHSAA said Monarch High School had violated the state's fairness in women's sports act which bans any student who was born male from playing on a school's girls' sports team.
"Since I'm a Christian, I don't think a 'trans boy' could play in girls' team, this is not correct," said Oliva. Other parents are more interested in the fact that the school is no longer without some of the main administrators.
"If they were allowed to come back, great," said Wilmer Rojas, a parent of a student at Monarch. The fourth employee not allowed to return is described as the Information Management Specialist of the school; she is allegedly the mother of the transgender student.