Parents across Massachusetts are speaking out to protect fairness in girls sports, and recently families in Pembroke made their voices impossible to ignore.
Last month, we shared the story of a courageous Pembroke mother who spoke out after a male athlete competed in girls’ indoor track, raising serious concerns about fairness, safety, and equal opportunity for female athletes.
At the most recent Pembroke School Committee meeting, that story continued and momentum grew. Parents, residents, and concerned citizens filled the meeting room and sent a clear message. Girls deserve fair athletic competition.
One of the most powerful moments of the evening came when the Pembroke mother at the center of this issue once again addressed the committee and community.
Her testimony reinforced what so many parents across Massachusetts are feeling: Fairness in girls’ athletics is not political –it is about protecting the opportunities female athletes have worked hard to earn.
Her voice, along with those of the other residents that spoke up, highlighted growing concern that allowing biological males to compete in girls’ sports undermines the very purpose of female athletics.
While many spoke respectfully about protecting girls’ sports, one opponent made troubling claims during the meeting. A speaker suggested that because other female athletes had also placed ahead of the concerned student in competitions, fairness concerns should not matter. This same disturbing commentary has also been repeated across social media discussions surrounding girls’ sports.
This argument misses the point.
Fair competition is not about whether one athlete wins every race. Girls’ sports exist because biological differences between males and females create meaningful competitive advantages. Female athletic divisions were created to ensure girls receive equal opportunities for competition, scholarships, recognition, and personal achievement.
When biological males compete in girls’ categories, those opportunities are diminished or lost entirely, regardless of where any individual athlete finishes in a single meet. All girls deserve a fair chance.
Following public testimony, the Pembroke School Committee stated it would continue discussing fairness in girls’ sports policies and respond to parents’ concerns. We hope the committee does right by its community and avoids the pattern seen in other Massachusetts towns where similar concerns have been delayed, dismissed, or ignored.
MFI will continue monitoring the situation in Pembroke. We also encourage parents and community members to remain engaged as this issue moves forward. Continued public participation plays a critical role in ensuring community concerns are taken seriously and addressed responsibly.
What is happening in Pembroke is not isolated. During the 2026 indoor track season alone, the male athlete in question has competed against and placed above girls from schools across Massachusetts and neighboring regions, including:
- Amherst Pelham
- Archbishop Williams
- Arlington Catholic
- Ashland
- Auburn
- Barnstable
- Beverly
- Boston Collegiate Charter
- Boston Latin Academy
- Brighton
- Clinton
- Danvers
- Dedham
- Dennis Yarmouth Regional
- Dighton Rehoboth
- Essex North Shore Agricultural School
- Everett
- Green Academy
- Groton Dunstable Regional
- Haverhill
- Hopkinton
- Ipswich
- Lawrence
- Lincoln Sudbury
- Littleton
- Lowell
- Lunenburg
- Lynn Classical
- Lynn English
- Lynnfield
- Madison Park
- Malden
- Manchester Essex Regional
- Mansfield
- Maynard
- Medford
- Methuen
- Milton
- Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical
- Murdock
- Nashoba Regional
- Natick
- Neighborhood House Charter
- New Bedford
- Newton North
- Newton South
- Nipmuc Regional
- Oakmont Regional
- Old Rochester Regional
- Oyster River
- Parker Charter Essential
- Peabody Veterans Memorial
- Pembroke
- Quabbin Regional
- Revere
- Rockland
- Saint Mary’s
- Seekonk
- Shepherd Hill
- Snowden International
- Somerville
- Tech Boston Academy
- Westford Academy
- Woburn Memorial High School
This growing list shows that families across the Commonwealth are being impacted, not just in one community but across Massachusetts. MFI applauds every parent, student, and concerned citizen who takes the time to show up and speak out at school committee meetings in any town where girls are not being treated fairly. We strongly encourage members of the Pembroke community and concerned residents across Massachusetts to remain engaged and continue making their voices heard as this conversation moves forward.
If you believe you or your daughter may have experienced a Title IX violation through being forced to compete against a male athlete, we encourage you to contact the Massachusetts Liberty Legal Center.
Families across the Commonwealth are increasingly recognizing what is at stake when biology takes a backseat to ideology. When gender ideology wins, girls lose. MFI will continue to support concerned Massachusetts citizens who want to stand up for girls through legal advocacy, education, and by amplifying their voices.
If you believe girls deserve fair competition and equal athletic opportunity, will you partner with Massachusetts Family Institute today?
Your support helps MFI:
• Advance legal and policy protections for girls sports
• Support families who choose to speak up
• Continue statewide advocacy to preserve fairness in female athletics
When parents step forward, they should know they are not alone.
With your partnership, we will continue standing with families across Massachusetts as they work to ensure every girl has a fair chance to compete.
