A school district is forcing an eighth-grader in Mesa, Arizona, to take a $1,500 genetic test or he must play with with the girls' basketball team.

Mesa

An eighth grade student in Mesa, Arizona, was prevented from trying out for his school's boys basketball team due to an error on his original birth certificate, which incorrectly listed him as female. The student's family corrected the error and obtained an amended birth certificate showing he is male, but the Queen Creek School District continued to bar him from boys athletics, citing policy that references original birth certificates.

The district suggested that additional documentation, such as chromosome analysis, could be used to verify eligibility, but the family noted the high cost of such testing. The district's written policy does not specifically mention original birth certificates, only that girls' teams are reserved for those whose biological sex at birth is female. The family says the issue is a clerical error, not a transgender rights case, and is seeking a resolution that would allow their son to participate with the boys.

Controversy over 8th grader's birth certificate

An eighth grade boy at a Queen Creek district school says that he's being barred from playing boys basketball because of an issue on his original birth certificate. His family says that there was an error that said he was female when he's really a male. They've tried to correct it, but they say school district policy tended to govern transgender athletes is getting in the way. This is Laker Jackson. He wants a spot on Eastmark's boys basketball team. Small forward shooting guard. But controversy about his birth certificate over the last few months hit a tipping point this week when he was removed from boys tryouts. I was really, really upset and disappointed because last year I didn't make the team and it's been like a year straight for me of training basketball almost daily to make this team. Here's what happened. His mom, Becky Jackson, says Lakers original birth certificate had an error listing him as female instead of male. She said she first spotted it years ago during school enrollment. Well, at the time we thought it was funny. As a busy mom of six kids, she says getting a corrected version was not top of mind. So we just put it in the drawer and moved on. And it hadn't been a big deal. It hadn't been an issue until this past spring. And they started calling me like a girl in the nurse's office during school and I asked why. Becky said school administrators then barred Laker from an all boys gym class and from the boys basketball team tryouts. She says they also make him use a separate restroom. So Becky and her husband took action to get the birth certificate corrected. It's not something that you can fix quickly. You have to have affidavits signed. You have to have a doctor do a physical exam. You have to have a bunch of things notarized and you have to drop off a bunch of paperwork to the downtown office of vital records. The amended birth certificate arrived this month. It shows Laker is a male. But the Queen Creek School District still sent this letter to his parents saying that he may only participate in classes or athletics that align to the original birth certificate. That's either female athletics or co-ed. I'm very disappointed. I'm really heartbroken. I'm sad for everybody that it's come down to this. We looked at Queen Creek School District policy and it does not include any language about original birth certificates in athletics. Only saying teams and events for girls shall be reserved for students whose biological sex as determined at birth is female. I am a biological boy. I was born a boy. This week Queen Creek Unified sent ABC 15 a statement saying the district is committed to ensuring fairness, integrity and equal opportunity in athletic programs for both boys and girls, adding they've informed the parent that documentation such as chromosome analysis could be considered to help support or verify eligibility. $1,500 was the cheapest that my husband looked and found it to be. So who's going to pay that? Becky says she has a family member who is transgender and she's advocated on behalf of transgender kids. But she says this is not that. She says this is a simple clerical error that's been fixed. And she says the district still won't allow her son to play on the boys team. Really I feel like it's setting a precedent for both people who are pro-trans and people who maybe have an issue with it because in the end, the precedent they're setting is it doesn't matter what paperwork or information you show us or give us, we are going to force a biological boy to play with the girls. Baker's parents say they will have him try out for the girls team if the district gives them no other option. I've gotten called some names and a lot of kids do talk about me because they think it's funny or weird, make jokes about it. I've gotten pulled into the principal's office and I'm really confused because he's like, I want you to be comfortable but I am comfortable if you just put me with the boys and stuff. ABC 15 investigators are looking into whether any other school districts in Arizona are trying similar things where they may require a student to provide genetic testing to prove their sex to participate in school sports. Melissa Blazius, Scripps News Group.

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