School board votes to suspend mother of transgender athlete for 10 days, demotes her from position
By Brandon Beyer, Kevin Boulandier
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PLANTATION, Florida (WSVN) — The Broward County School Board has voted to suspend the mother of a transgender student who was allowed to play on the girls’ volleyball team for 10 days.
In a 5-4 vote, the board said Jessica Norton will also get demoted from her current position. Her salary will remain the same but she will be kept away from school records.
The decision from the school board comes after controversy over Norton’s decision to allow her transgender daughter to play on the volleyball team at Monarch High School, where Norton worked.
Norton was an information management specialist at the high school.
At a Tuesday meeting, school board members said that Norton’s decision was a violation of Florida law.
Some meeting participants agreed.
“Violating a state law is no small thing and there needs to be consequences,” said a woman.
Others supported Norton.
“This family has experienced enough,” said a man.
When the controversy first began, as a result of an anonymous tip, Norton and three others were reassigned. Months later, the other three employees are back at their previous jobs while Norton’s employment status remained in limbo until Tuesday.
Following the board’s decision, Norton said she did nothing wrong.
“I think it’s an incorrect decision. I never changed my child’s records in the system,” said Norton. “Obviously, I don’t want to get fired from my job, I love my job, but I don’t think the decision for any suspension was correct.”
Norton learned of her decision on Tuesday and said the district has handled the case wrong.
“They constantly say they’re for all children, for all children, they’re obviously not,” she said. “Nobody can understand what we have been through. We’ve been through death threats, harassing phone calls, letters sent to our house, and this was something that they did, not something that I did. I was protecting my child.”
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