Midwest
Illinois trans athlete conflict grows after tense track meet as state Republicans call for Trump's help
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Tensions are mounting over trans athletes in girls’ sports in Illinois, as the state continues to allow males to compete against and beat out females in sports across the state.
A youth track meet became the focus of national controversy after a biological male competed in the seventh-grade competition against girls at the Naper Prairie Conference Meet last Wednesday. The incident prompted a series of heated debates, which went viral on social media, at the Naperville 203 Community School District Board meeting on Monday.
Now, Illinoisans are speaking out, calling for President Donald Trump to crack down on the state and Gov. J.B. Pritzker to protect girls’ sports.
Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., has addressed a second letter to the U.S. Department of Education and Department of Justice asking for federal intervention into the issue. Miller previously sent a letter in April and is now doubling-down on her pleas for the Trump administration to step in.
Miller’s latest letter asks U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Education Secretary Linda McMahon to specifically look into the Naperville incident and consider pulling federal funding from the state, as seen in a copy obtained by Fox News Digital.
“The Illinois Governor has made our beautiful state unfair and unsafe for women and girls by allowing men to compete in their sports and to use their showers and locker rooms. It is my strong opinion that any school district that allows these actions to continue should have its federal funds reviewed immediately for revocation,” Miller wrote. “Ultimately, it is my understanding that violations of Title IX may have taken place at this track and field meet, and I write to bring this grave incident to your attention.”
Illinois GOP state Rep. Blaine Wilhour is also calling for a federal investigation and potential consequences in the wake of the Naperville incident.
“President Trump should freeze every penny of federal dollars until these schools come to their senses and do right by these kids,” Wilhour told Fox News Digital. “Either you believe in fairness, biological reality and common sense, or you don’t. This is not fair competition and Naperville 203 is engaged in what I consider abusive and illegal practices in violation of title 9. Wake up people, these are Jr. High kids being exploited and used as political pawns, and it’s disgusting.”
TEEN GIRLS OPEN UP ON TRANS ATHLETE SCANDAL THAT TURNED THEIR HIGH SCHOOL INTO A CULTURE WAR BATTLEGROUND
Illinois Rep. Mary Miller gives remarks after receiving an endorsement during a Save America Rally with then-former President Donald Trump at the Adams County Fairgrounds on June 25, 2022 in Mendon, Illinois. (Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images)
Wilhour was previously a leader in putting pressure on the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) to comply with Trump’s “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” executive order that was signed on Feb. 5. However, the state’s Democrat leaders ensured the IHSA defied Trump on the issue.
In a public letter to Wilhour and other state GOP lawmakers, the IHSA said Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and the Illinois Department of Human Rights have declared that state law requires that transgender athletes be allowed to participate based on gender identity.
So girls around the state and their families have had to continue sharing teams and locker rooms with biological males, as they have since 2006.
Even Chicago Bears legend Brian Urlacher has spoken out on the issue while his home state is ravaged by controversy.
“It’s just different because we are men, there are certain things we do better than women, and it’s just, number one, it’s not fair, and if I had a daughter who had to be forced to play against a man, I would not be okay with it and I would raise hell about it,” Urlacher said during an interview on the “Global View” podcast on May 9. “I just don’t get it, it’s a common sense thing, I just don’t see how you can push this and make someone thing they’re a different sex.”
Currently, there is one federal Title IX probe in Illinois regarding transgenders impeding on female spaces, but it is only against one school.
Deerfield Public Schools District 109 is facing a probe by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights after middle school girls were allegedly forced by school administrators to change in front of a trans student in the girls’ locker room.
Illinois mother Nicole Georgas brought light to the situation in March after filing a complaint to the Justice Department and then delivering a school board meeting speech that went viral on social media.
Now, Georgas is looking for more action to be taken as the issue continues to plague girls’ sports in Illinois and hopes the recent Naperville incident will be a turning point. She is pleading for the president’s administration to bring more pressure to Illinois on the issue.
“The tides are going to turn after this. We as the parents have had enough,” Georgas told Fox News Digital. “We are at the forefront, we are in the crosshairs and we need help. We need help right now. In our state nothing has changed from March, and it’s getting worse!
“They’re using these kids to just almost test President Trump because they know they’re not doing anything. They’ve forgotten about Illinois. They’ve forgotten about us.”
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Southwest goes red, white and blue for America’s 250. See new plane.
Southwest unveils “Independence One,” a Boeing 737 with “1776” and “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness” splashed on the sides of it.
The world’s largest steam train is passing through Illinois as part of its 10-state route across the United States this summer.
The locomotive, officially known as Big Boy No. 4014, is heading east across the Mississippi River starting in late May to help celebrate America’s 250th birthday.
Here’s what we know about the train’s stops in Illinois.
What is Big Boy No. 4014?
Delivered to Union Pacific in 1941, the locomotive was among 25 built to haul wartime freight across the Continental Divide in Wyoming and Utah. Big Boy is the last one running, and in the 1960s was converted to burn oil instead of coal.
Big Boy is 133 feet long and weighs 1.2 million pounds. It traveled more than 1 million miles during its working life hauling freight between Cheyenne and Ogden, Utah. The train typically draws large crowds of rail enthusiasts, and it’s common to see superfans with cameras in hand chasing it in cars.
“Union Pacific couldn’t be prouder to share this powerful piece of history with the nation and to be a part of America’s birthday celebration,” Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena said in a statement. “This tour celebrates our company’s rich 164-year history, our nation’s amazing story and the people who have helped build our great country and our railroad.”
When does Big Boy’s route begin? Where will it depart from?
The train will depart from Union Pacific’s headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska, on May 25.
This will be the first time it has crossed the Mississippi River since its westward delivery run in 1941, according to railroad officials.
Where is Big Boy stopping in Illinois? When will world’s biggest train be on display?
The train will stop at the Union Pacific Training Center in West Chicago on June 3. It will be on display south of the West Chicago Metra stop from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. central time.
Admission is free, with no tickets required.
Where can residents watch Big Boy pass through Illinois?
Rail fans can also see the train in action at whistle-stops, generally lasting 15-30 minutes long.
The train will pass B Street Crossing in Sterling, Illinois, between 1:30 and 2 p.m. on Tuesday, June 2. It will then pass by Rochelle Railroad Park in Rochelle from 3-3:15 p.m.
After reaching its eastmost stop in Philadelphia, the train will then head back out west, passing by the Amtrak Depot in Springfield between 10:45-11:15 a.m. on Saturday, July 18. The last public view of the train in Illinois will be at Center St. Crossing in Girard between 1-1:30 p.m.
Full list of Big Boy stops
Big Boy will make the following stops on its journey out east:
- May 30 – Omaha, Nebraska
- June 3 – West Chicago, Illinois
- June 10 – Buffalo, New York
- June 15-16 – Scranton, Pennsylvania
- July 4-5 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- July 9-10 – Altoona, Pennsylvania
- July 14 – Fostoria, Ohio
- July 19 – St. Louis, Missouri
Track Big Boy as it travels across the US
Union Pacific will provide a real-time location tracker for Big Boy, allowing rail fanatics to follow the train on its coast-to-coast tour.
When do tickets for Big Boy go on sale?
Union Pacific Museum patrons will have early ticket access beginning May 1 at 9 a.m. central time. Tickets will go on sale for the general public on May 4.
FULTON COUNTY, Ind. (WSBT) — The Fulton County Area Plan Commission and Data Center Ordinance Review Committee are being sued by a resident who believes they are not complying with Indiana’s Open Door Law.
They’ve decided that transparency is not that important,” said Richard O’Neill, a Fulton County resident suing the Area Plan Commission.
Back in March, county commissioners voted 2-1 to approve a one-year data center moratorium, as talk of a possible data center in Akron picked up.
After that vote, the data center review committee was formed to review regulations and look at how other communities handle data centers.
But some residents said they’re concerned the public can’t attend or even listen in on those meetings.
I’m suing them to get an injunction to stop this committee until such time that they’re willing to have public meetings. So you don’t want the public there, fine, live stream it. They wouldn’t do that. So you have to ask yourself, what do they want to hide?” said O’Neill.
Other community members weighed in on the transparency issues.
When the committee was formed, the county attorney and Area Plan decided to place in the regulations that this committee would be closed to the public. Several people argued this decision and requested it not be closed so the community could feel involved. I stressed and stated at the Area Plan meeting on March 30th that currently the public trust with our local government is at an all time low and this committee not honoring the open door law would only make things worse,” said James Zimmerman, Fulton County resident.
Indiana’s Open Door Law states:
“Government agencies must hold official meetings of a majority of their governing body, such as council or board meetings, publicly. As a citizen, you have the right to attend and record these meetings.”
But the committee said it doesn’t have to follow that law because it’s not considered a “governing body.”
WSBT22 reached out to the committee’s executive director, but has not yet received a response.
The county attorney feels that they’re in the right and my attorney feels we’re in the right. So we’ll find out from the court,” said O’Neill.
O’Neill said that he’s currently waiting for a different judge to be appointed to his case to set a court date, which should be any day now.
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