Vermont Pays $566K After Banning Christian School for 2 Years

Mid Vermont Christian School is finally heading home after a two-year journey that took them far from their gym and their community.

The school of 111 students will receive $566,000 in damages and legal fees after Vermont education agencies banned them from all in-state competitions. The trouble started in 2023 when the girls' basketball team forfeited a single playoff game because a transgender athlete was playing on the opposing team.

Coach Chris Goodwin remembers the difficult conversation with his players. "There were some teary eyes, and some sad faces, but in the end, they all really did understand that it was the right thing to do," he told Fox News Digital.

What happened next shocked everyone. Within days, the Vermont Principals' Association banned the entire school from not just basketball, but all athletics and academic competitions including spelling bees, science fairs, and mathletes.

For two years, every team had to travel out of state to compete. Short bus rides to nearby schools turned into hours-long trips across state lines, with students getting home at 10 p.m. trying to finish homework.

Home games disappeared. The school's gym, once filled with parents and community members cheering on their teams, sat quiet.

Goodwin says some of his teams during those years could have won state championships but never got the chance. "We had some really good teams during those two years where we would have been, if not winning the state championship, competing for the state championship," he said.

The breakthrough came in 2025 when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ordered the school reinstated while the case continued. After the ruling, settlement negotiations began and the agreement was finalized this week.

The Ripple Effect

This season, Goodwin led his team back onto the court and all the way to the state tournament at the Barre Auditorium, the arena every Vermont player dreams about. When they won their quarterfinal game to qualify, a senior who had graduated the year before called her sister on the team.

Both were crying on the phone. Joy mixed with sadness for the years lost, but also relief that younger students wouldn't miss out on those same dreams.

The settlement sends a clear message about protecting the rights of faith-based schools to follow their beliefs. More importantly, it means current students can finally experience what their older siblings couldn't: playing in their own gym, competing against nearby rivals, and making memories close to home.

The long road back taught this small school resilience, but now they're just grateful to be home.