Michigan dad files complaint over alleged trans high school athlete

Jennifer Chambers, The Detroit News on Dec 9, 2025

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

DETROIT — The father of a female high school athlete in Michigan has filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education alleging two local school districts violated Title IX rules and failed to protect female students who competed twice against a volleyball team with an alleged transgender athlete on its roster.

Sean Lechner, whose daughter plays volleyball at Monroe High School, filed a complaint on Dec. 5 alleging Ann Arbor Public Schools, Monroe Public Schools and Monroe's athletic director Chet Hesson failed to follow safety protocols, withheld information and disregarded student privacy by allowing a male on Skyline High School's varsity volleyball team to compete against females and use the same locker room.

Lechner said in the complaint that the actions "put female athletes at risk and violated established rules" on athletic participation.

Ann Arbor Public Schools officials have never confirmed or acknowledged they have a trans athlete on the Skyline team, saying they cannot disclose personal student information.

On Sept. 9, Ann Arbor's Skyline High School beat Monroe High School in Monroe. Lechner alleges in the complaint that both schools failed to ensure fair competition, provide a safe environment and equal opportunity to play in sex-separated athletic games.

"My daughter was forced to share a locker room, where females undressed, with the male athlete," the complaint says. "The presence of a male in the girls' locker room was not disclosed prior to the match, constituting a violation of privacy and bodily integrity protections under Title IX."

Lechner alleges that Hesson knowingly required his daughter and teammates to share a locker room with the Skyline team and its male athlete at the Sept. 9 game, and that Hesson had been told the day before the match by Skyline athletic director Delsie Sissoko that a male athlete would be on the team.

The Oct. 25 game was at Skyline and the teams did not share a locker room. Hesson allegedly denied knowing the information, the complaint says.

Lechner also filed complaints with the Michigan Department of Education, Monroe Public Schools and the Michigan High School Athletic Association, which governs and organizes athletic programs for 1,500 high schools in Michigan.

Officials at Monroe Public Schools issued a letter to the community on Monday that said the district has requested a third party to complete the Title IX investigation and provide a recommended determination.

"The district has chosen to use a third party so that the investigation can be completed in a manner that allows for complete transparency from beginning to end. Monroe Public Schools has no further comment while the third party is conducting the investigation," the statement read.

Ann Arbor public schools had no comment on the complaint. The furor over the athlete gained traction as the team advanced through the state playoffs, including a national story on Fox News and a call from state GOP lawmakers to keep males out of female sports.

Reached on Tuesday, Lechner says his motivation is to protect all children, "sons and daughters included."

"Women have fought so hard to have equal rights, to have equality," Lechner said. "Biological males should never be allowed to play against females in any sport. They are different – hormones, testosterone. Everything about a male and female, their bones are different. Their strengths are different.”

Lechner said his 16-year-old daughter was shocked to learn after the fact that she had played against and changed around a male athlete.

"She felt like her privacy was stripped from her, stolen from her," Lechner said.

Lechner also alleges that Ann Arbor did not seek a waiver from the Michigan High School Athletic Association for games involving his daughter and her team on Sept. 9 and Oct. 25. The MHSAA only requires waivers for transgender females who want to play on a girls' team for postseason matches.

The Sept. 9 and Oct. 25 games were in the regular season.

The Michigan High School Athletic Association has declined to comment on whether Skyline sought or was issued a waiver for the volleyball postseason. MHSSA was not immediately available on Tuesday.

Lechner is asking for an investigation, a ban on males playing on female teams, and a review of MHSSA's compliance with its own waiver rules. He also wants parent notification for all future matches that involve teams with MHSSA waivers.

_____