A 9-year-old girl at a school track and field event was left 'shaking and sobbing' after a man accused her of being trans and demanded her disqualification, mom says
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- A Canadian girl, 9, was brought to tears by a man who insisted she was trans, her parents said.
- It happened at a regional track and field competition for elementary school kids, per Castanet.
- The parents say the man, who has denied the allegations, wanted their daughter disqualified.
A 9-year-old girl was yelled at during a regional track and field event in British Columbia, Canada, on Sunday by a man who insisted she was trans and that she should be disqualified from competing, her parents said, according to local news outlet Castanet.
The child's mothers, who chose not to disclose their daughter's name, told Castanet that the girl was competing in a shot put event at Kelowna's Apple Bowl when the grandfather of another participant began to yell at her.
Heidi Starr, one of her mothers, told the local news outlet: "Right before she went to throw, a grandfather of a student said, 'Hey, this is supposed to be a girls' event, and why are you letting boys compete.'"
The girl's mother clarified that her daughter is cisgender, meaning she was assigned female at birth and still identifies as a girl. She mentioned that her daughter has a pixie haircut, adding that the man also pointed and shouted at another girl with short hair.
According to a Facebook post shared by Starr, the man insisted her child was "definitely trans" and called for her to be disqualified from competing in the school competition.
He also demanded to see certification proving that their daughter was indeed a girl, the Facebook post said.
The incident left the girl "visibly shaking and sobbing," said Starr, according to the New York Post.
The man denied the allegations, saying the women twisted his words to "satisfy an agenda."
But the superintendent of Central Okanagan School District, Kevin Kaardal, told Castanet that the incident was "totally unacceptable" and that the district was taking steps to ensure that the man cannot attend future school events.
The school district did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
The local police service, Kelowna RCMP, said in a statement Tuesday that it is investigating the incident, but would not provide further information due to privacy laws.
Starr told the New York Post that she hopes the situation shines a light on "how awful and extreme" anti-trans rhetoric has become.
She added: "This is proof that this has nothing to do with protecting children."