Latest news with #WilliamFloydHighSchool
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trans teen on girls track team divides LI town — and could cost district $13M in funding
A transgender girl on a Long Island high school's track team has ignited fierce debate over fairness in sports — and whether the district could lose all of it federal funding under a recent White House order. The controversy centers around a 6-foot, 14-year-old freshman on the girl's varsity track team at William Floyd High School in Shirley. The unidentified student has 'socially transitioned' to female, meaning she is not on hormone treatment and retains biologically male characteristics but identifies as a girl, according to the South Shore Press. Her presence since joining the team in March for the spring season has split the community and sparked multiple rallies both in support of and against her participation on the girls team. 'I say let her run,' said Genesis Alfaro, a senior on William Floyd's varsity flag-football team, to The Post. But foes, while saying they have no hate toward the LGBTQ community, argue the female track participant has an unfair competitive advantage as a biological male. 'It's wrong. It's not about hate, it's about fairness,' said a parent in the district who asked not to be identified. 'Imagine you practice, practice, practice, and then this kid comes along who is biologically a boy and dominates because he has a physical advantage. It's not fair.' A member of the school's girls varsity track team claimed that in practice, when students are supposed to be running at the same pace in warm-ups, the trans student 'bolts' past everyone to the front, according to the South Shore Press. A group of student-athletes who asked not to be identified said they don't necessarily care if a trans athlete competed with or against them but would feel uncomfortable if they had to share a locker room. A parent told the outlet that the trans student had been allowed to use the girls locker room, although a plastic sheet was used to separate the athlete from their female teammates. The controversy over the trans athlete could cost the school district more than $13 million in federal funding, too. In February, President Trump signed an executive order saying the government would 'rescind all funds' from schools that allow trans athletes to play on teams based on their gender identity as opposed to biological sex. 'This is demeaning, unfair, and dangerous to women and girls, and denies women and girls the equal opportunity to participate and excel in competitive sports,' Trump wrote in his order of schools that defy his declaration. The potential loss in federal funding would be a massive hit to William Floyd, as the district receives more than $1,500 per student for nearly 10,000 students, according to the district budget. Some parents of district students told the South Shore Press that they have asked local school officials to address the issue but have yet to hear back. 'The district has to make a decision: abide by federal law or continue letting a biological boy compete on a girls team,' a parent told the outlet. The William Floyd School District did not respond to a Post request for comment. On Monday, Rep. Elise Stefanik called for a federal investigation into another school district upstate for its 'direct violation' of Trump's order. Under New York law, public schools in the state can't block trans students from playing on sports teams that match their gender identity — leading to confusion and a potential crisis for districts that rely on federal funding. Gov. Kathy Hochul's office declined to comment on the issue, but state Attorney General Letitia James called Trump's executive order 'legally ineffective. 'We understand that presidential threats to withhold funding are intimidating. But they arealso beyond the president's authority,' James told The Post on behalf of the state's Education Department. Last week, Trump moved to strip Maine of all its federal education funds for allowing trans athletes to play on girls teams in public schools, a move that Gov. Janet Mills is now fighting in court. California and New York, two states with trans athlete protections, could be next on the chopping block depending on the ruling in Maine.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Odd rule leaves New York track star out of State Championships
William Floyd High School (Mastic Beach, N.Y.) senior Zariel Macchia is one of the top prep runners in the country. She won't be able to compete in the New York State track championships, however, due to a technicality. Macchia ran in a meet at Boston University this month and competed against collegiate runners. That's where the problem starts and her ability to run in the state championships ends. Another milestone ✅Zariel Macchia of William Floyd NY moves into the all-time high school indoor top 10 list in the girls 1000m after finishing third at the BU Valentine Invitational.📸: @TweetingTrack — DyeStat (@DyeStat) February 15, 2025 Per the New York Post: The loophole, according to the New York State Public High School Athletic Association handbook, is that the athletes Macchia raced against were 'representing a college.' Had the same runners entered independently, Macchia would have had no violations, according to her father, Peter Macchia, who is investigating legal action and appeals ahead of the March 8 competition on Staten Island. The Post spoke to Macchia a couple of weeks ago for a feature. She is ticketed for BYU on a track scholarship. Macchia will continue to be eligible for her spring track season, which seems to contradict her being banned from the state championships. 'My goal was to make nationals at least one time in high school, but then I made it as a freshman and realized I want to be back every year, and it worked out that way,' the William Floyd High School told The Post. She finished third in the mile at the Millrose Games, a prestigious track event, in New York earlier this month. Floyd High School senior Zariel Macchia is ineligible for the rest of the indoor track and field season after violating a rule that prohibits high school athletes from competing against college Jonathan Singh📝: @MikeAnderson_15 — Newsday HS sports (@NewsdayHSsports) February 20, 2025 This article originally appeared on USA TODAY High School Sports Wire: New York prep track star ruled ineligible on technicality
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- General
- Yahoo
LI scholar from Russia embraces US with love of learning, heavy metal
From Russia with love — of knowledge. A Long Island student who came to Mastic Beach as a child while knowing very little of the country was nominated as a presidential scholar this month — and her adoration of learning and heavy metal radiates through the halls of her school. 'When I was seven years old, I was sipping tea in my kitchen, and mom came in and said, 'Why haven't you packed? We're moving to America,' William Floyd High School senior Victoria Basharina, originally of Yekaterinburg near the Ural Mountains, told The Post. 'Just like that, we came here in 2014,' said the 18-year-old, who came to the US with her mom and brother after her parents divorced. 'It was strange,' she recalled. 'I didn't speak English. The house was big and empty and pretty run down at the time we bought it.' Naturally, things were incredibly overwhelming for her as a confused first-grader who couldn't even spell her name in English. It would be a long struggle to where she is today, as a top student with a 100.4 grade point average who now tutors others in English. 'Originally, I hated school, if you can believe it. I would get so bored,' she said. 'But I remember moving here and thinking, 'alright, everyone is pretty stressed, and this is scary, but let me try to make the most of this.'' So, in the early days, she learned the bare bones of the second language and would approach other kids, extending her arm and saying, 'my name Victoria, I don't speak English good, you friend.' In middle school, she fancied a passion for heavy rock bands like Avenged Sevenfold and met some of her closest friends through some headbanging. 'I'd say it's probably become my favorite genre…it caused such a great chain reaction in my life.' As she assimilated to the South Shore of LI and said dasvidaniya to any bad tidings, Basharina's relentless quest for knowledge flourished. 'In ninth grade, I remember one of our first meetings, her poring over the course catalog, 'I want to do that. I want to do this. How do I get to take this?'' Basharina's guidance counselor, Ashley Seibert, said. 'I was like, 'Wow, she's she's really eager,'' she added, praising Basharina's contagious enthusiasm. Along with having a course load of advanced placement and honors, Basharina is involved in the National Honor Society, a science honor society, the student government, a robotics club and an animatronic club. 'I want to learn something new every day, and it kind of happens on its own,' said Basharina, who watches TED Talks for fun. 'Even when I procrastinate on my school work, I'm looking up facts on another subject . . .The only time I'm not learning something new is when I'm sleeping or in the shower,' the teen added. When Basharina recently received her formal letter from The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars, which only 25 New Yorkers qualify for a year, she couldn't believe it — literally. 'I thought it was a type of scam and almost threw it out…after about a week of it lying around, I sent it to [Seibert],' she recalled. 'I emailed her saying, 'Get a load of this baloney,' and she responded, 'Oh my God!'' Now, Basharina, who is also waiting to hear back from some Ivy League colleges for neuroscience, will find out in June whether she is among the nation's best students in the academic competition. No matter what, though, she is more than fulfilled with how her young life has turned out. 'I think I learned to have fun through everything — and fun is just being me,' Basharina said. 'And now, everywhere is home to me, here, or when I see my family in Russia, or anywhere I can learn.'
