State Rep. James DeSana (R-Carleton), along with fellow Monroe County legislators and concerned parents, held a press conference to announce the filing of a formal complaint challenging the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s (MHSAA) decision to allow a male student to compete against girls’ teams in the Monroe County area during this year’s high school girls’ volleyball season.

The student in question competed for Ann Arbor Skyline High School during both the regular season and post-season playoffs.

“I am truly concerned for our daughters and for their opportunity to compete fairly in girls high school athletics,” said DeSana. “As best as we can tell, MHSAA failed to follow their own policies regarding this male athlete playing on a girls’ team.

“Adding to the harm suffered by our Monroe High School girls’ volleyball players, they were forced to share their locker room with the male Skyline player before their match this season. This raises serious questions about safety, fairness, and the protections in place for our student-athletes.”

Legislators are calling for an investigation to ensure that proper procedures and policies are followed and that student athletes have a fair and safe environment in which to compete.