A male-born transgender high school tennis coach who was criticized for changing clothes in the girls’ locker room has been rehired by a Pennsylvania school district.
The Gettysburg Area School District’s board voted this month to rehire coach Sasha Yates despite criticism by Gettysburg High School principal Jeremy Lusk after the male-born Yates was discovered changing clothes with girls present in the locker room.
The school board voted 6-to-2 with one member absent to renew Yates’ contract for the fall season, according to PennLive.
In Sept. last year, principal Lusk blasted Yates, who only started “transitioning” in 2021, for inappropriately sharing a locker room with the girls, saying that it is “imperative to maintain professional boundaries.”
PennLive added that Lusk’s memo revealed that Yates partially disrobed among the girls and also spoke to them about undergarment preferences and their menstruation. Yates denied the accusations.
Board President Kenneth Hassinger also said he had received at least two complaints that Yates was using the women’s restrooms at the school. In another instance, he walked into the girls’ locker room as the school’s girls’ soccer team was changing while on the way to an office meeting.
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Another parent contended that Yates followed his 16-year-old daughter into the girl’s locker room and tried to strike up a conversation with her, making the child feel uncomfortable, the New York Post reported.
The parent, Steve Carbaugh, exclaimed that the school has failed to protect his daughter and the other girls at the school with its support of Yates.
Hassinger said the board carefully considered all the rumors and claims against Yates.
“We were able to go back and look and see if rumors and other stuff if there was any factual basis behind it – and I think you saw the vote tonight would tell you that the majority of those rumors did not have a factual basis to them,” Hassinger claimed.
The school claims that it has changed its policy, and all coaches now use single-occupancy restrooms to change clothes.
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After being rehired, Yates sent out a statement professing his delight.
“I have been very moved by the outpouring of support that I have received,” Yates said, and “I am very much looking forward to continuing to support and guide both teams as they represent Gettysburg Area High School in the coming seasons,” he wrote.
Student Tristan Smith, the school’s tennis team captain, also spoke on behalf of Yates.
“There’s no validity to the disgusting claims I’ve heard about my coach,” Smith said. “I cannot stand here and refuse to acknowledge that blatant transphobia is the main motivation behind this commotion,” Smith said, describing Yates as an exemplary coach.”
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