Arizona boy reportedly barred from team due to error on birth certificate

An Arizona boy was reportedly barred from trying out for his school’s boys’ basketball team and instead ordered to play with the girls’ team after an error with his original birth certificate.

Laker Jackson’s case is the latest to highlight the US’s ongoing debate over school athletics and gender identity amid increasing attempts by elected Republican leaders to ban transgender athletes from participating in sports.

In his case, though, Laker is not trans. He is an eighth-grade student at Eastmark high school in Mesa, Arizona, and was excited to join his school’s team, he told local news outlet AZFamily.

“I like the team aspect of the sport a lot,” Laker said to the outlet. “I like to play basketball, I wrestle and I like football a lot.”

But Laker was removed from tryouts due to a clerical mistake dating back to an inaccuracy on his original birth certificate, said his mother, Becky Jackson. Laker’s birth certificate mistakenly says that he was born female.

Over the years, Laker’s birth certificate mixup hasn’t caused many problems, said Jackson to AZFamily, often becoming a bit of a joke. “I give them the birth certificate, and they’re like: ‘Did you know this says female?’” Jackson remarked. “I was like: ‘Oh, man, that’s so funny.’ So, we come home. Everyone’s laughing.”

But problems began when Laker attempted to try out for the basketball team. Laker was reportedly removed from tryouts by the high school’s athletic director in front of the team’s coach and other potential team members, said Jackson. Laker said that other students were also speaking about his removal from tryouts.

Even after Laker’s parents secured a corrected birth certificate, along with a doctor’s note, district officials refused to allow Laker to try out – asking for additional chromosome analysis.

The cost of chromosomal testing can be expensive, ranging anywhere from $100 to more than $2,000.

“Now, they may consider changing it if we get chromosomal testing. They didn’t say they would. It says they may,” Jackson said to AZFamily.

In a statement to AZFamily, the Queen Creek unified school district – in whose jurisdiction Laker’s case is playing out – said it was “committed to ensuring fairness, integrity, and equal opportunity in all athletic programs for both boys and girls”.

“In this particular case, the student has been enrolled in QCUSD since elementary school and has been registered as a biological female throughout their time in our district,” the statement continued. “The day before basketball tryouts, the parent submitted a new birth certificate and a doctor’s note indicating a gender change. Our schools rely on a student’s original birth certificate at birth to determine athletic eligibility.

“This student’s parent reached out to our district and asked for help finding a solution. We informed the parent that documentation such as a chromosome analysis could be considered to help support or verify eligibility in accordance with policy.

“Our team communicated this information directly to the family and expressed our willingness to work together toward a resolution. We have not yet received a response but remain open and committed to ongoing dialogue.”

Arizona is one of at least 27 states that have restricted or banned transgender athletes from participating in sports aligned with their gender identity.