A women’s basketball team from a Christian college in Canada has battled back against stifling odds to win its championship after being sanctioned by the league for opposing transgender athletes.
Columbia Bible College (CBC) in Abbotsford, British Columbia, has faced stiff criticism and harsh punishments for refusing to play and forfeiting games against Vancouver Island University over its inclusion of transgender player Harriette Mackenzie. In one case, the team’s criticism spurred the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) to dismiss the school’s ability to host the national tournament. The league officials also accused CBC of violating the civil rights of the trans player.
The team’s refusal to play VIU became a controversial action in the CCAA’s national tournament in a country where national laws require schools to allow transgender players to play any sport they wish under their assumed gender.
Despite all that, on Saturday, CBC won the CCAA women’s basketball national championship, beating St. Mary’s University 77-70 to win its first-ever national title, according to Fox Sports.
CBC was not the only one to protest the transgender player. Many women’s sports advocates in Canada protested when Mackenzie was named an All-Canadian for the second time and won PACWEST tournament MVP honors. In 2023, Mackenzie was also the conference player of the year.
However, the Christian college was the tip of the spear for criticism aimed at Mackenzie, and a season-long feud broke out between VIU and CBC after the trans player began making accusations that members of the Christian team were heard making negative comments. Mackenzie, for instance, claimed that CBC head coach Taylor Claggett railed at VIU and said in an argument that Mackenzie “shouldn’t be allowed to play.”
Later, Mackenzie said members of CBC hard-fouled him, seeking to cause injury, an accusation that coach Claggett denied.
Claggett and the CBC players said their problem was not based on Mackenzie as a person but solely on “the safety of female athletes in their sport.”
Meanwhile, VIU issued a full-throated defense of Mackenzie, Fox Sports previously reported.
“Intimidation, harassment and discrimination have no place in athletics,” VIU said. “VIU stands in full support of our student-athletes and affirms the right of all athletes to compete in an environment that prioritizes their safety and well-being.”
For its part, CBC blasted claims that the school or its players are a threat to anyone.
CBC also slammed Mackenzie for “personal attacks,” “defamatory comments,” and “comments that incite violence” against coach Claggett.
“Videos and letters posted by members of the VIU women’s basketball team over the past three months have directly violated multiple rules stated in Article 17.2 of the manual. Various posts have included ‘personal attacks,’ ‘defamatory comments,’ ‘lack of respect towards the PACWEST’ and led to ‘comments that incite to violence and/or hatred’ directed at our coach,” the schools said, according to Fox News.
“Any and all allegations made by VIU players regarding our team and coach should have been directly communicated to PACWEST officials alone. They should not have been uploaded publicly to social media.”
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