Snowboarding Coach Sues School Following Controversial Firing

In a startling turn of events, the city of Vermont woke up to some shocking news. David Bloch, former head coach of the snowboarding team at Woodstock Union High School, has sued the institution for wrongfully firing him.

Bloch started the snowboarding team in 2011 and was a pioneer in their growth and enhanced performance.

Why was coach Bloch fired?

The termination of his head coach contract was because of his alleged comments about certain players during a competition in February. The conversation ensued while they were in the lodge before the games began. Saying that male athletes have a physical advantage over female athletes, Bloch made this insensitive comment in a three-minute conversation with his players. It all began when they were talking about an athlete in the opposition team, who was a male by birth but identified as a female. He argued that it gave the team an unfair advantage over their female counterparts.

The Windsor Central Supervisory Union’s supervisor summoned Bloch to her office the following day and informed him of his immediate termination. The investigation, though, at the time of termination, was incomplete. The high school released a notice on the issue which accused him of breaching the Windsor Central Supervisory Union Board’s Harassment, Hazing, and Bullying policy. There was another breach relating to the Vermont Principals’ Association policy “making reference to student in a manner that questioned the legitimacy and appropriateness of the student competing on the girls’ team to members of the WUHS snowboard team.”

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Bloch demands readmission in lawsuit

The coach in his lawsuits demands that he be reinstated as the head coach of the snowboarding team. His legal counsel has argued that the school and other official institutions should refrain from using anti-harassment laws in the case of gender-identity. In his complaint, Bloch also specified that the investigation was incomplete but the order of termination had already been passed.

Matthew Hoffman, his legal counsel argued that The First Amendment gives an individual the right to express their opinion without punishment. They also argued that Sherry Sousa, the superintendent at Windsor displayed bias in his decision because of his ward being identified as transgender.

“I find that your use of disparaging names created an objectively offensive environment and constituted harassment based on gender identity, justifying terminating your contract as a snowboarding coach,” said Sousa in the notice. “In addition, you will not be considered for any future coaching positions within the Windsor Central Unified Union School District.”

The entire controversy has certainly thrown spotlight on the conversation around inclusivity and sensitivity and the balance in freedom of expression. As both parties now engage in a legal tussle, the entire scenario is a reminder of the environment in the sports ecosystem and need to quickly address the complexities. The right to personal belief and expression is a tough scale to balance between.

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