A transgender cheerleader in the United States was kicked out of a cheerleading camp after she allegedly attacked a teammate who made a transphobic remark.
Last week Averie Chanel Medlock, 25, was expelled from Ranger College cheerleading camp in Texas after she was alleged to have choked a 17-year-old female teammate, identified only as Karleigh.
The girl and other cheerleaders reportedly locked themselves inside a room to hide from an angry Ms Medlock.
Police were called to the scene and Ms Medlock was booted from the camp.
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Ms Medlock took to Facebook to explain the incident and said she “stood up” for herself.
“Well guys I’m officially retired as a cheerleader as of last night at 5:30am. A girl on the team was being very disrespectful and told me I am a MAN with a PENIS and that [guys] should not be on the team,” she wrote.
“I stood up for myself and she called her mom and dad because she was scared because I [stood] up for myself.
“Her father said, ‘She still has testosterone and a penis and I will kill anyone who comes after my daughter.’”
Karleigh’s father Mike Jones was also called to the scene by his daughter, and denied attacking Ms Medlock’s gender or race.
“I ask you what you would have done when receiving a phone call at 1am in the morning from your daughter stating they had locked themselves in the room with other girls,” he wrote on Facebook.
“At no time did I ever say anything about your race or your gender.”
He has begun pushing for police to release body camera and CCTV footage of the incident.
Ranger College said in a statement that the school will investigate the incident.
“Ranger College takes all allegations of this nature seriously and is committed to providing a learning environment free from discrimination,” the school said.
The incident comes as debate continues to rage about transgender participation in female athletics, most recently in the case of University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas.
Ms Thomas competed for the school’s male swim team between 2017 and 2020, but transitioned to compete with females for the 2021 season.
She became the first transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division 1 national championship in 2022, and has since been at the center of debate around transgender participation in sports.
The controversy has led to 18 US states passing legislation that bans or limits transgender participation to the athlete’s birth sex.
– with The New York Post
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