Canada’s Christian basketball team has responded to allegations of “abuse” by transgender players.

Like OutKick reported on ThursdayVancouver Island University’s women’s basketball team refused to play against PACWEST conference rival Columbia Bible College, claiming the Christian school created an unsafe environment because VIU has a transgender player.

Vancouver Island released a statement saying its players do not feel safe playing at Columbia Bible College.

“Intimidation, harassment and discrimination have no place in athletics,” the statement said. according to Fox News. “VIU fully supports our student-athletes and affirms the right of all athletes to compete in an environment where their safety and well-being comes first.”

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Columbia Bible College denied the allegations. (iStock)

The CBC immediately denied allegations that they had created an unsafe environment and responded that they had put in place extra security measures for the games against VIU.

The allegations of “intimidation, harassment and discrimination” stem from multiple incidents in late October, when the two teams played each other for the first time this season.

Transgender Vancouver Island player Harriet McKenzie said in an Instagram video that CBC coach Taylor Clagett went on a “tirade” to a VIU staff member complaining about having a man on the women’s basketball team.

McKenzie, who leads VIU in points, rebounds and blocks and is the team’s tallest player, also said CBC players tried to injure a transgender athlete with intentional fouls.

Columbia Bible College players have written a letter denying the allegations against their team and head coach.

The Christian school’s players released their own statement, signed by each player, defending their head coach and denying the allegations made by McKenzie and VIU.

“Coach Clagett has repeatedly shown respect for all athletes from all walks of life throughout her career as a youth and college coach. We have the privilege of dealing with Coach Clagett on a daily basis and know that the concerns she has expressed are based on concern for the safety of her team,” read a statement sent to OutKick.

“The attack on Coach Claggett’s character and the character of our team over the last three months was based on misinformation and one side of a complex scenario.”

Normally in this situation, those games would count as losses for the Vancouver Island, the No. 5 team in the CCAA. However, the PACWEST decided to simply postpone those games for the time being, something Columbia Bible College said represented a double standard.

A general view of the rim and net during a college basketball game between the Villanova Wildcats and the Providence Friars on March 2, 2024. at the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, Rhode Island. (M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

“In the past, if a team refused to participate and travel to a scheduled game, they received 0 points in the classification. By moving games this weekend, the PacWest went against standard operating procedure. No clear justification was provided. to our team to justify this deviation from normal procedures,” the statement said.

It seems clear that Coach Claggett does not believe that biological males such as McKenzie should participate in women’s sports. This is the opinion of most Americans, although Canada leans more to the left than the United States, so perhaps the neighboring country has fewer citizens who hold such a sensible belief.

But the picture painted by the CBC players is not much different from the one often seen in American sports, where women stand up for themselves and their sports and demand that biological men compete against other men, not against women. They face persecution and calls for “bigotry” for simply wanting to compete fairly.

It is very unfortunate that the players and the coach have faced “abusive messages” for their stance, but that is the reality. And as CBC noted, PACWEST appeared to be showing favoritism toward VIU, likely because the conference fears a backlash from the trans mafia if they don’t comply.

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This is how these people often get their way. They use bullying tactics to silence their opponents. But the Columbia Bible College players decided not to stay silent. Good for them.

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