Santa Maria football refuses to play against Coast Union because of girls on the team

The Valley Christian Academy Lions, a private Christian school based in Santa Maria, California, forfeited a football game against the Coast Union Bronco football team for the second consecutive year. 

The reason cited for the forfeit was the presence of two female players, Emily Reed and Andrea Aguilar, on the Coast Union team. This incident appears to violate Title IX, a federal law prohibiting gender-based discrimination in sports, as well as California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) rules, according to a report by the Modesto Bee.

Valley Christian Academy's decision to forfeit the recent game against Coast Union underscores their policy of not competing against teams with female players. 

Coast Union is now focused on upcoming games, with their homecoming game scheduled against Coastal Christian School on October 7. They have three more games left in their season, including one against San Luis Obispo Classical Academy, Turlock Christian, and Cuyama Valley.

Valley Christian Academy had similarly refused to play against Coast Union in October 2022 for the same reason. This incident sheds light on the ongoing efforts of women and girls to break barriers in male-dominated sports like football. It also highlights Valley Christian Academy's history of refusing to compete against teams with female athletes.

In a previous lawsuit, a parent of a female player from Cuyama Valley High School's football team sued Valley Christian Academy, alleging gender discrimination. The lawsuit resulted in a settlement that awarded $20,000 to the plaintiff and her attorneys.