ANN ARBOR, Mich. — A Monroe High School volleyball player and her father filed a federal lawsuit alleging Monroe school officials failed to tell families that a 2025 match against Ann Arbor Skyline High School included a transgender athlete on the visiting roster.
The complaint, filed Oct. 9 in U.S. District Court, names Monroe Public Schools, Superintendent Andrew Shaw, Athletic Director Chet Hesson and the Michigan High School Athletic Association. Ann Arbor Public Schools is not named as a defendant.
The suit centers on a Sept. 9, 2025, match and a later Oct. 25 meeting between the same programs. It argues Monroe leaders violated Title IX by allowing the Skyline athlete to compete without arranging alternative locker-room and restroom facilities and without notifying Monroe players or parents in advance.
Shaw said in a Tuesday, Oct. 13, statement that the district remains committed to state and federal guidelines and student safety and will address any legal proceedings through proper channels. MHSAA spokesperson Geoff Kimmerly said association policy on transgender participation was crafted to comply with federal and state law and that the association will defend its position in court.
Ann Arbor Public Schools spokesperson Andrew Cluley said Tuesday the district does not comment amid ongoing litigation. Skyline High School is one of Ann Arbor Public Schools’ high schools and fields competitive teams across multiple MHSAA sports.
