Canadian Christian women’s basketball team punished over disputed abuse allegations by trans opponent

As women athletes in the U.S. have been granted protection from transgender opponents by President Donald Trump’s latest executive order, women athletes in Canada are still dealing with a nationwide system that protects trans athletes. 

The women’s basketball team at Columbia Bible College (CBC) – an evangelical Mennonite Bible College in Abbotsford, British Columbia – is now facing sanctions by its athletic conference, the PACWEST, over disputed allegations of abuse against a transgender opponent earlier this season. 

CBC women’s basketball head coach Taylor Claggett is currently suspended, and the school has lost its right to host the upcoming PACWEST championships after a recent investigation by the conference into an incident that occurred in a game against Vancouver Island University (VIU) on Oct. 25. 

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“PACWEST has publicly stated that it has concluded its investigation. CBC is deeply disappointed with PACWEST’s decision. We do not believe that a proper process was followed or that the results were fair. As a result, we are taking steps to have PACWEST’s decision reviewed. We will not be commenting further at this time,” read a statement CBC provided to Fox News Digital.

During the Oct. 25 game, VIU trans athlete Harriette Mackenzie alleged Clagett “cornered one of our athletic staff and went on a tirade about how I shouldn’t be allowed to play.” Mackenzie made these allegations in an Instagram post on Oct. 30. 

Mackenzie alleged she was also deliberately fouled to the ground by a CBC player.

“I got two-hand chucked to the ground by No. 13 without a play on the ball in sight, then head coach Clagett can be seen applauding in support,” the trans athlete said. 

Clagett posted her own statement on Instagram, claiming that Mackenzie’s statements were inaccurate.

“My intention has nothing to do with a specific athlete, but instead, the safety of female athletes in their sport,” she wrote.

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When the two teams were set to play each other again in a pair of games in early January, VIU refused to participate, citing the alleged Oct. 25 incident. VIU even requested PACWEST not to penalize its team for forfeiting, in a statement it provided to Fox News Digital. 

After news of the forfeit, CBC provided a statement to Fox News Digital denying Mackenzie’s allegations. 

“This was surprising news to us,” the statement read. “CBC stands for safe play for all. Accusations that CBC, its coaches, players, and fans are a safety threat are simply untrue and misinformed.” 

A letter written by the CBC players, obtained by Fox News Digital, condemned VIU’s team for “personal attacks,” “defamatory comments” and even “comments that incite violence,” against their coach. 

“Videos and letters posted by members of the VIU women’s basketball team over the past three months have directly violated multiple rules stated in Article 17.2 of the manual. Various posts have included ‘personal attacks,’ ‘defamatory comments,’ ‘lack of respect towards the PACWEST,’ and led to ‘comments that incite to violence and/or hatred’ directed at our coach,” the letter read.

“Any and all allegations made by VIU players regarding our team and coach should have been directly communicated to PACWEST officials alone, they should not have been uploaded publicly to social media.”

The letter even called the VIU players’ statements “misinformation.”

“The attack on Coach Claggett’s character, and the character of our team, over the past three months has been based on misinformation and one side of a complicated scenario,” it read. 

Since June 2017, all places within Canada must comply with the Canadian Human Rights Act, equal opportunity and/or anti-discrimination legislation prohibit discrimination against gender identity or gender identity expression. This law protects the inclusion of all trans athletes in women’s and girls’ sports. 

Trump’s recent executive order in the US states that any publicly-funded institution that allows trans athletes to compete in girls’ or women’s sports will lose its federal funding. 

Trump has also repeatedly suggested that Canada join the U.S., potentially as the 51st state.

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