Vermont Christian school partially settles lawsuit over female sports

The Vermont Principals Association agreed to pay Mid Vermont Christian School $566,000 in damages and attorneys’ fees, partially settling a lawsuit, according to Alliance Defending Freedom. The principals’ association in 2023 banned the school from all state-sponsored sports over its decision to forfeit a girls’ basketball game that would have involved competing against a male player. The school then sued the association, along with a school board and state education officials, in 2024. An appeals court in September 2025 lifted the ban on sports participation while litigation continued.

Alliance Defending Freedom, which represented the school in court, did not provide further information on the terms of the settlement. However, the school’s claims against state officials and the school board appeared to be ongoing as Vermont officials continue to exclude Christian schools from state tuition and other public benefit programs, according to Alliance Defending Freedom.

Alliance Defending Freedom said it would continue to litigate a portion of the case challenging Vermont’s Act 73 changes to education law. The act, passed in 2024, changed eligibility requirements for the state’s public tuition program in a move that the school argues was calculated to exclude religious institutions.

How has the Vermont Principals Association responded? WORLD reached out to the association for comment. This story will be updated with any response received.

Dig deeper: Read Liz Lykins’ report on the appeals court’s decision to restore Mid Vermont Christian School’s participation in state-sponsored sports.