Portland Superintendent Faces Backlash Over Transgender Athlete Comparison
Portland, Maine, is at the epicenter of a heated national debate over transgender inclusion in girls’ sports, a battle that has now engulfed the city’s public school superintendent. Ryan Scallon, the superintendent of Portland Public Schools, is facing intense criticism after drawing parallels between the fight for transgender athletes’ inclusion and historical American civil rights struggles.
Scallon’s comments, made during a recent school board meeting, ignited a firestorm of controversy, with opponents accusing him of trivializing the struggles of women and minorities. In his remarks, Scallon stated that the opposition to transgender inclusion in sports is "driven by fear" and an attempt to "ostracize other people who look, act or believe in something different." He likened the current situation to past civil rights battles, including the women’s suffrage movement, the fight for racial equality, and the legalization of same-sex marriage.
"In our country’s history, there have been many civil rights struggles, including, but not limited, to fights for women’s rights to vote, for racial equality and for gay marriage," Scallon said. "In each of these fights, the opposition in part was driven by fear in attempts to ostracize other people who look, act or believe in something different. Today, I see that happening again with transgender or non-binary students, and in particular, our transgender athletes."
Scallon’s words were met with swift and strong condemnation from various quarters. Maine state Representative Laurel Libby, a leading voice in the state’s opposition to transgender inclusion, labeled Scallon’s comments as "insulting" and "unconscionable."
"It’s insulting to women everywhere," Libby told Fox News Digital. "If I was a parent there, I would feel betrayed and like I don’t have representation, and certainly that my girls didn’t have representation… It’s an example of leadership actively participating in the erasure of women and girls. It is unconscionable that a public official would compare the woke policy of allowing biological males to participate in girls’ sports to the civil rights struggle that previous generations fought."
Libby has been at the forefront of the debate in Maine, particularly after she shared a social media post featuring a Greely High School pole vaulter who, as a biological male, won a state championship as a female athlete. This action led to Libby being censured, prompting her to file a lawsuit to regain her voting and speaking privileges.
Allen Cornwall, a former Maine high school pole vaulting coach and official who had personal experience judging a competition involving a transgender athlete, echoed Libby’s sentiments, calling Scallon’s comparison "a farce."
"It’s a farce," Cornwall said. "Until you sit there and look at the other girls’ faces, and then you can come and tell me why you think it’s fair, I don’t really want to hear it. I look at these girls’ faces every single week, I’ve witnessed it and they were dejected and they were hurt and then they found opportunities not to compete… it’s not what they wanted. So I find it ironic that these people who are supposedly, who are out for women’s rights, are forgetting that you’ve been trampling over women’s rights for years."
The controversy extends beyond the school system, drawing in national organizations and sparking social media outrage. Alleigh Marre, executive director of the American Parents Coalition, issued a statement condemning the perceived liberal movement in Maine that supports transgender inclusion.
"Parents overwhelmingly agree that forcing gender ideology on kids is unacceptable and they’re fed up with activists who pretend biology isn’t real," Marre stated. "From boys in girls’ sports and locker rooms to tampons in boys’ bathrooms – families have had enough. Despite this, Maine liberals’ latest push of their ideology includes inviting a transgender activist who has been accused of [witnessing] sexual misconduct involving a minor to say the morning prayer at the House of Representatives today. Out of touch doesn’t begin to describe their continued actions. It is time for our leaders to listen to parents and families."
The national implications of this issue are underscored by the involvement of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Civil Rights (OCR), which found the Maine Department of Education, the Maine Principals’ Association, and Greely High School in violation of Title IX due to their transgender inclusion policies. The OCR has given the state 10 days to comply with a written agreement or face potential referral to the Department of Justice.
"What HHS is asking of the Maine Department of Education, the Maine Principals’ Association (MPA) and Greely High School is simple – protect female athletes’ rights," said OCR acting Director Anthony Archeval. "Girls deserve girls-only sports without male competitors. And if Maine won’t come to the table to voluntarily comply with Title IX, HHS will enforce Title IX to the fullest extent permitted by the law."
The debate has escalated to the point of requiring police protection at Greely High School and prompting a large-scale protest against Maine Governor Janet Mills in Augusta, demonstrating the intensity of feelings on both sides.
Maine is now a key battleground in the broader national debate over transgender inclusion in sports. The core question is how to balance the rights and opportunities of transgender athletes with concerns about fairness and safety for female athletes. The debate involves complex legal, ethical, and scientific considerations, and there is no easy resolution.
The controversy surrounding Superintendent Scallon highlights the challenges faced by school leaders and policymakers as they navigate this complex and emotionally charged issue. His comments have sparked a deep divide, with some defending his effort to promote inclusivity and others accusing him of undermining the rights of women and girls. The issue is likely to continue to be a major point of contention in Maine and across the country as stakeholders grapple with how to create a fair and inclusive environment for all athletes.
