BREAKING: Parent Submits Federal Complaint Accusing Michigan Schools of Title IX Violations

Complaint alleges the districts allowed unsafe conditions, violated privacy rules, and failed to comply with Title IX and MHSAA requirements.

A Michigan parent has filed a detailed federal complaint alleging that two school districts mishandled athlete safety, violated Title IX requirements, and failed to protect the privacy and competitive fairness of female volleyball players during matches between Ann Arbor Skyline High School and Monroe High School earlier this fall.

The formal complaint, submitted December 5 to the U.S. Department of Education by Sean Lechner, outlines a series of allegations against Ann Arbor Public Schools, Skyline High School, Monroe Public Schools and Monroe High School Athletic Director Chet Hesson. Lechner claims decisions made by administrators during two girls volleyball matches in September and October placed female athletes at risk, denied them equal opportunity under sex separated athletic programs, and violated both Title IX and Michigan High School Athletic Association regulations.

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According to the complaint, a biological male athlete publicly reported to be competing on the Skyline girls volleyball team participated in both matches. The complaint states that Skyline allowed the athlete to compete without submitting the required MHSAA waiver, which is needed when a biological male plays in female athletics. It also alleges that the presence of the athlete significantly affected competition, noting that the player was named “Player of the Match” on October 26 as Skyline advanced to the state Elite Eight.

The Monroe Public Schools released the following statement:

Lechner alleges that Skyline failed to notify Monroe parents or coaches before the September 9 match that a male athlete would be participating. During that match, held at Monroe High School, female athletes were required to share a locker room with the Skyline team, including the male athlete. The complaint states that girls were undressing when the athlete was present and that parents were not informed in advance, calling it a violation of privacy, bodily integrity protections and Title IX rules requiring a safe environment free from sex based harassment.

The filing asserts that Monroe High School’s athletic director, Chet Hesson, knowingly allowed the locker room sharing to occur despite having been told the day before the match by Skyline Athletic Director Delsie Sissoko that a male athlete would be on the roster. A staff member from Monroe High later informed Tom Heck, president of the Monroe Public School Board, that Hesson had received the information in advance, contradicting Hesson’s written statement claiming he did not have prior knowledge.

According to the complaint, Hesson instructed the Monroe girls to use the locker room anyway, even though teams typically do not share locker rooms. The filing states that this decision violated Title IX’s protections for privacy and bodily integrity.

Following the first match, the complaint states that Hesson told parents in writing that he did not know a male athlete would be present. Lechner argues this was false based on statements made by a member of Monroe’s athletic community, who also said Hesson was advised that media might attend the match.

The complaint further details a meeting on October 23 between Hesson, parents and players. It claims Hesson again denied prior knowledge and told parents he could not share information under the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act and FERPA. The complaint asserts that these explanations did not apply to the safety, privacy and competitive concerns being raised. During the meeting, the complaint says Hesson offered no solutions to prevent similar incidents and laughed when a parent raised concerns about injury risk, comparing the situation to a co-ed game even though the match was part of an all female schedule.

Lechner states that Skyline High School contributed to “sex based inequity and safety concerns” by failing to notify parents about the athlete’s participation and by allowing competition without required compliance measures. He asserts that female athletes were denied a fair opportunity to compete in a sex separated program, a key requirement of Title IX.

The second match between the teams on October 25 at Skyline High did not involve shared locker rooms, but the complaint states the same male athlete again competed, renewing concerns about fairness and safety.

The complaint includes a full summary of alleged violations, stating that Skyline High failed to obtain required waivers, failed to notify opposing teams and parents, and allowed conditions that compromised female athletes’ privacy and opportunity for fair competition. It accuses Monroe’s athletic director of knowingly forcing female athletes into an unsafe locker room environment, providing false statements, failing to implement safeguards, and dismissing parental concerns.

Lechner cites “violations of student privacy, safety, and fair competition,” along with a lack of transparency and failure to comply with Title IX and MHSAA standards.

The complaint requests several corrective actions, including a ban on biological males competing in female sports and entering female locker rooms, a full investigation into the actions and communications of both districts, a review of MHSAA compliance regarding transgender athletes, and the creation of clear protocols for locker room access, parental notification, competitive safety and communication between administrators, coaches and parents. Lechner also requests a written report outlining findings and corrective measures.

The filing concludes that parents must be able to trust school administrators to prioritize the safety and equitable treatment of female athletes. It states that the events of September 9 and October 25, combined with publicly reported information about the Skyline athlete, show administrative failures requiring immediate action.

I have reached out to the schools named and am waiting for a response for comment. If I get a response I will update this story.