Rockingham Times

A New Hampshire high school student athlete has filed suit against his local school district after he was suspended from a football game for saying that there are only two genders, the Daily Mail reported.

“A New Hampshire student is suing his high school, Exeter High School, for violating his right to free speech and religious beliefs after being disciplined for stating there are only two  genders," Steve Oatley, host of the "Wake Up America" podcast, tweeted Nov. 16.

The freshman student was identified only as "M.P." in court documents. According to the lawsuit, the student made the statements about gender on a school bus and in text messages to another student.

The suspension violated the student's right to free speech because he was expressing his religious beliefs, the lawsuit contends.

He is seeking nominal damages against New Hampshire School Administrative Unit 16 (SAU16) and Exeter High School Assistant Principal Marcy Dovholuk. The school system has declined to comment specifically about the lawsuit.

"We are in the process of reviewing this complaint with legal counsel and will be able to share a statement once we have completed that review," SAU 16 Superintendent David Ryan told the Daily Mail.

The school system has a policy that gives students a right to be addressed according to their gender identity. It's considered a violation of that policy to intentionally or persistently refuse to respect a student's gender identity. According to the Daily Mail, M.P. wants Exeter High School to stop enforcing its gender-nonconforming student policy.