BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – A Broward principal and two of his staff members have been cleared of wrongdoing and were allowed to assume their responsibilities Wednesday amid the investigation surrounding a transgender athlete playing on a girls’ sports team at the school last year.
Broward County Public Schools spokesperson Keyla Concepcion said Monarch High School educators, including Principal James Cecil, Assistant Principal Kenneth May and Athletic Director Dione Hester have been “cleared of any wrongdoing following an investigation.”
After being reassigned and fined after allegedly permitting the transgender athlete to participate on the school’s girls’ volleyball team, which would violate Florida law and athletics policies, all three educators were subject to scrutiny.
District officials announced the probe into Monarch High School in late November. The school is located at 5050 Wiles Road in Coconut Creek.
The investigation remains ongoing on the fourth Monarch High School employee included in the probe.
Monarch High School complied with the sanctions imposed by the Florida High School Athletic Association, including paying the assessed fine and attending the organization’s compliance seminar in early May.
BCPS confirmed in a statement Wednesday that the district’s Special Investigation Unit has cleared them of “the allegations,” but also stated, “The investigation concerning other aspects remains ongoing.”
According to a letter the Florida High School Athletic Association sent to Monarch High School and obtained by Local 10 News on the day the investigation was announced, the school violated a bylaw that states “biological males may not participate on a female team in any sport” and a state statute stating “athletic teams or sports designated for females, women, or girls may not be open to students of the male sex.”
In 2021, the Florida State Legislature passed the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, which specifies athletic teams or sports designated for females, women or girls may not be open to students of the male sex. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis later signed the bill into law.
The FHSAA ordered Monarch High School to face a reprimand, pay a $16,500 fine, face probation through Nov. 20, 2024, and require staff to attend compliance seminars and workshops.
BCPS said Monarch High School “complied with the sanctions imposed by the FHSAA, including paying the assessed fine and attending the organization’s compliance seminar in early May.”