Frances Staudt is a high school athlete in Washington state who refused to play against a team with a trans player – clearly an adult man. She joins Glenn Beck to speak out: “In NO WAY am I feeling like I’m…‘safe and supported.’” She also joins to discuss the civil rights complaint filed on her behalf to the Department of Education.
Transcript
Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors
GLENN: I want to read something from Francis Stout. She posted -- she's 16 years old. She lives in Washington State. This evening, as a young female athlete in the United States of America. I was actively silenced for standing up for my own safety and belief.
During the Tumwater High School girl's basketball game on February 6, 2025, a biological male from Shelton High School, opposing team was brutalizing my teammates, using his biological -- his biological advantage, clearly and intentionally overpowering his competition.
I made the decision to sit out one of my very last basketball games of the season because I refuse now and forever to compete against any biological sport that I play.
I was incredibly distraught at the fact that nobody would step in on our behalf, including the staff, coaches, referees, and parents from both sides.
This is due to the sheer fact that in our society, we have been pushed to be silent. And bow down to the demands to accept what we know to be untrue.
When I became visibly upset and angry.
I was met with allegations of discrimination, as well as threats made by other players, and a grown man who was tasked with serving my school district.
The principal and athletic director who stood in front of parents, and the students claiming to care about our students' bodies, their beliefs, and feelings, but they certainly did not care about mine tonight. This is far from over.
It has a fueled a passion in me, to speak out and go against the wrongdoing that is still happening to female athletes in this great country.
Isn't it ironic that just yesterday, national girls in Women's Sports Day was the day that President Trump signed the no men in women's sports executive order. And here I am, the very next day, having to deal with such an injustice.
That has caused so much emotional distress in my life. I will never not stand up for myself, or my ability to speak out and protect my safety, as a female athlete. Sixteen years old from Tumwater, Washington. It's Francis Stout.
Hello, Francis.
FRANCIS: Hello. Thank you so much for having me on the show. It's not lost on me, the significance of speaking with you today.
GLENN: Oh, my gosh, thank you. So, Francis, you were -- you were not notified. Nobody was notified. You just go to this game. And you see somebody who you describe as obviously a male.
FRANCIS: Yes.
GLENN: Why do you say that? And tell me the intimidation tactics, or the brutalization tactics, if you will, that you felt he was doing.
FRANCIS: Well, I feel it is obvious from any stand, where he would have stood out on the court. He was warming up and stretching, looking around, dancing with the girls on his team.
It is obvious there's clear biological differences between girls and boys.
GLENN: Okay. Yeah.
FRANCIS: And you could see just by everything. And lots of -- there's a lot of just roughness on the court. And pushing girls down.
And nothing that a normal girl on my team or the other team, would have really been able to do.
Very harsh and just, it was a very clear difference.
GLENN: So you go and say, I will sit this game out. Or I can't play. Because I don't feel safe on the court. Is that correct?
FRANCIS: Yes, that's correct.
GLENN: What was the response at the time?
FRANCIS: At the time, people looked and, "oh, whatever." Just asked me, "Oh, are you sure you don't want to play? It's not that big of a deal." I got told by a lot of people, "It isn't that big of a deal, it doesn't matter. Nothing is going to happen, and you're just looking for attention."
GLENN: Jeez.
FRANCIS: Every sort of thing you could hear from people.
GLENN: Right.
FRANCIS: But it was only after I got upset after seeing him hurt girls on my team, and also take away from my ability to play because I feared for my own safety, that people really started having issues.
GLENN: Yeah. And what -- when you got upset, what happened?
FRANCIS: So I went and tried to talk to the principal of Tumwater, Zach Shuderman (phonetic), and I told him, "This is wrong. Why are you not protecting me and my rights to play, and my own sport? And why are you not putting a stop to this? It's clearly wrong. It is a violation of my own privacy and safety, that you have told every single person at that school, that you care about."
But you -- he did absolutely nothing to help me. He told me, "That it was discrimination against the boy -- and the man, actually, eighteen years old."
GLENN: That's what he said?
He said, "The man?"
FRANCIS: Yes. He said -- he said, "I'm not going to misgender, quote, unquote, this individual."
GLENN: Hmm. Okay.
He's also said, and maybe it's not the principal, maybe it's the superintendent, "As a district, we remain committed to fostering an inclusive environment where all students feel safe, supported, and valued."
Do you feel safe, supported, or valued?
FRANCIS: That is a very easy answer: Absolutely not.
There is -- in no way, am I feeling like I'm supported. I have had -- when I was 15 years old, the 18-year-old man was in my own locker room.
That is quite the opposite of safe and supported, that I should be able to feel.
There's a man -- or, boy in the girl's locker room right now at Tumwater High School that they're still doing nothing about, telling girls that they can go somewhere else to change, if they feel uncomfortable. They only care about a certain protected class, and it clearly is not the girls who just want their own privacy and safety.
GLENN: So now, a lawsuit has been lodged against you. The Foundation against Intolerance and Racism filed a civil rights complaint, to the Department of Education.
FRANCIS: Yes, on our behalf.
GLENN: On your behalf.
FRANCIS: It was filed.
GLENN: Thank God. I read that. How is that possible? On your behalf.
FRANCIS: However -- yeah, I was investigated, however, by the WIAA in the Tumwater School District for harassment and bullying for, quote, unquote, misgendering the man, saying that he was a man, who was apparently bullying and harassment. And that is what happened.
I -- but myself and my family was the one who filed the complaint.
GLENN: Well, I'm -- I'm glad. Because I was having a hard time understanding how our DOJ was -- was not standing up for your civil rights on this, especially since the president has made it very clear.
FRANCIS: Yes.
GLENN: Can you give me any update on where this stands, and where this is headed?
FRANCIS: So we're still waiting to hear back. We filed it a little bit ago. And still waiting for news. We have hope, that it will be in our favor. And I am very much looking to seeing where it can take us. And, yeah, I am hoping that it will be all good.
GLENN: Francis, I have to tell you, you give me an awful lot of hope.
FRANCIS: Thank you.
GLENN: I think we treat our children as little kids. You know, you hit 16 years old, back in the old days, back in the old days, I mean, older than me -- you know, our Founders were in their 20s and 30s, you know. Thomas Jefferson I think was 30.
They were expected to do more. And we just say, "Oh, your childhood. Your childhood?
Yeah, there is something about keeping childhood sacred, and keeping childhood as safe as possible. But you are a great example of what 16-year-olds should be like. You should know what your rights are, what your responsibilities are. Why you believe certain things that you do, if you're passionate about them. Obviously, you're passionate about this.
And make the case. You give me an awful lot of hope, Francis.
FRANCIS: I very much appreciate that. While I can not tell you how much I -- as I mentioned in my speech last Saturday, this is the Turning Point of America, and I was an incredible fan of Charlie Kirk. I think he was an amazing man, and I think he's given me a voice to speak out.
And given me courage. And I think that it's important, although we're young, to speak up for what we believe in.
It's important I have those values. And still by my family as well. And my parents.
And I think it's very important, he did not die in vain. I think that we need to make our country proud, and we are going to be the future of America. And we need to start acting like that. And we need to speak up for what we believe in, and what is right. And know good and evil.
GLENN: Do you have any friends in Washington state. Because I grew up in Washington State.
I know what it's like. Your family. Is it just you guys? Are you just alone in Washington State?
Because you're amazing. But it --
FRANCIS: Thank you.
GLENN: But it must not be very popular to be you and your family in Washington State.
FRANCIS: Well, no. You see all around, there's people who disagree.
But we have a close group. It really shows you, who your close friends are. And who is there for you.
But it is definitely not the majority in Washington State, of what me and my family believe in.
But this isn't over. And I think that we can make a change. And I think people need to have their eyes opened. And realize, that there's clearly something wrong. And I think people can be very oblivious to the fact of that.
But there's -- it is a pretty small majority, especially in Washington State, as you can probably --
GLENN: Oh, yeah, I know it quite well.
The -- do you have any friends that disagree with you, that are still standing with you as a friend?
FRANCIS: I don't really have many friends who have told me, they disagree. I've been called a lot of names. I've lost a lot of friends over it.
But I don't have many friends who disagree with.
I think it's really sad, because they've been told by so many people, that they are right. And people who disagree with them, are automatically horrible people.
And especially telling people that, oh, this isn't happening. Kids are believing him, and parents are believing him.
And so they think that I'm just wrong and looking for attention. And I've been called for -- just the other day. I got called a transphobe in the hallway by this kid that I used to be friends with. And said hi to every day.
And I walked by. And got yelled at. And it's sad. It really is.
GLENN: Yeah. You sound smart enough to know, there are easier ways to get attention.
Right?
FRANCIS: Exactly. Yes.
GLENN: Thank you so much for everything you're doing.
Please keep me informed.
Keep us up-to-date. We want to follow the story.
If there's anywhere we can help. Just know you're not alone. And it will be people like you, that will be remembered some day.
It's the people who did the things they didn't necessarily want to do, that didn't make them possible. In fact, made them a target. You, but they had -- they had the faith in go bigger than themselves, they knew they had a responsibility. And they stood.
Those are the kinds of people that actually make it into the history books. Not the one that walked through the crowd, as you were walking the lie, who said, you're a transphobe.
That person is never going to be remembered in history. You will be. So thank you. Keep it up.
FRANCIS: We truly appreciate that. And it means more than you know. From the bottom of our heart. I appreciate this opportunity, in speaking to you. And I will not forget what you said. That means a lot.
GLENN: Thanks a lot, Francis. God bless you.