Girl with suspected autism punished by UK 'Serious Case Panel' for asking trans soccer opponent with beard, 'Are you a man?'

A girl with suspected autism was punished by a so-called National Serious Case Panel in the United Kingdom for asking a bearded transgender soccer opponent, "Are you a man?" the Telegraph reported.

The 17-year-old cried when the panel found her guilty of “discrimination” for her remarks during a match against a trans-inclusive team, the Telegraph added.

'The FA has declared open season on women and girls in football with its disastrous policy, which means that no one can question a male player participating in a women’s game.'

The outlet — citing a previous report in Telegraph Sport — said it was the "latest case to cause outrage over the Football Association’s policy of allowing those born male to play in the women’s game."

The girl's county Football Association charged her with saying, “Are you a man?” as well as, “That’s a man," and “Don’t come here again,” or similar comments, the Telegraph said.

She was banned for six matches, four of which were suspended, after a three-hour hearing last week during which she denied expressing transphobia at the "friendly" game in July, the outlet noted.

The girl also wept during a 30-minute grilling conducted via video conference, the Telegraph said, adding that she had been facing a ban of up to 12 games.

An individual on the call said the hearing was “farcical” and added that panel members repeatedly “misgendered” the alleged victim as “he," the outlet reported, adding that the girl also was said to have been repeatedly asked, “How many LGBQT+ players do you have in your team?”

More from the Telegraph:

Her parents were outraged both by the hearing and the outcome, with her mother telling Telegraph Sport: “We’ve always taught our daughter to ask questions, and if she doesn’t feel comfortable or she doesn’t feel safe then she should go to somebody in charge and ask the question. In safeguarding training at places of work, you’re always told that you should question everything but she’s been told and effectively sanctioned by the FA for doing so. She asked, ‘Are you a man?’, and she admitted to that. The FA is essentially saying that no woman, when faced with what appears to be a male on the pitch, is entitled to ask a question.”

The girl’s plight had previously been cited by former FA chairman Lord Triesman, who wrote to the governing body’s current chair and chief executive last month to complain about its trans policy. The FA has continued to permit players born male to compete in female-only events, despite being urged in May by then-Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer to adopt the “unambiguous position” of a ban.

The outlet noted that Fiona McAnena — director of campaigns at Sex Matters — told Telegraph Sport: “The FA has declared open season on women and girls in football with its disastrous policy, which means that no one can question a male player participating in a women’s game. Anyone who does could find themselves suspended just for asking. Disciplining women and girls for saying what they see plainly in front of them makes a mockery of the game. The FA’s new strategy for women’s and girls’ football is worthless as long as this transgender inclusion policy is in place. How can the FA talk about a commitment to true equality in community football while undermining the rights and safety of the very players it claims to be supporting?”

The girl was brought up on charges after the opposing team lodged a complaint through Kick It Out, which is English football’s anti-discrimination watchdog, the Telegraph said, adding that the trans player and the opposing team’s captain testified that the girl was persistently transphobic.

The outlet noted it has concealed the accused girl's identity due to her age and because she's "on the assessment pathway for autism."

'I raised a concern about the risk of serious injury as a 17-year-old girl playing against a biological male who was much larger than me and a very physical player, which was possibly a safety issue as I did not want to get dangerously injured right before the start of the new season.'

The girl admitted in a written statement submitted in her defense that she asked, “Are you a man?” to a player she described as having “a beard," the Telegraph reported. She also admitted asking the referee for guidance about the player’s eligibility to participate in women’s football “given my concern for my safety after already suffering a number of overly physical challenges," the outlet added.

However, the girl repeatedly denied her words constituted transphobia, the outlet said, adding that it is understood that the game's referee heard nothing he deemed discriminatory.

More from the Telegraph:

The girl said in her written statement she had become “confused” about the participation of the trans player during the match in question as the latter “wore jewelry and sunglasses” and was not in opposition kit.

She added: “The moment the player clarified they were transgender (which I previously hadn’t considered), I respected their answer fully, dropped the situation and immediately shifted my focus back to the game before seeking guidance from the referee. At no point was my question meant to be hurtful or malicious as I only intended to seek clarity in an unfamiliar situation. Knowing now that the player was transgender, I understand that there were better ways to approach this question.”

The girl also said the opposing team's captain accosted her during a water break, telling her that she shouldn't have an issue with playing against a transgender opponent, the outlet added.

“I raised a concern about the risk of serious injury as a 17-year-old girl playing against a biological male who was much larger than me and a very physical player, which was possibly a safety issue as I did not want to get dangerously injured right before the start of the new season," the girl said, according to the Telegraph. "Despite this, I made it clear that if the player met the eligibility criteria of the FA I would respect the rules and accept the risk involved in continuing to play the match. My safeguarding officer and the referee were both present for this conversation.”

The girl added that she was “truly disheartened that these allegations have been made against me," the outlet reported, adding that she also said "I have always supported and respected the diversity within my team, including members who are in the LGBTQIA+ community.”

The Telegraph added that the girl’s mother said none of her daughter’s teammates had been approached to make statements ahead of an upcoming hearing but that they were “100 percent behind her."

According to the outlet, the Football Association decided against publishing written reasons for the case.

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