A Maine cross country runner who competed last year in the Western Maine Conference (WMC) Boys Cross Country meets is now regularly beating female competitors after transitioning into a girl.
The transgender athlete also just so happens to have a father who is the Director of Clinical Ethics at Maine Medical Center, which prescribes sex change hormones and puberty blockers to minors through the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital’s “Gender Clinic“, and a mother who is a feminist ethics professor at Bates College.
Soren Stark-Chessa, a sophomore at the Maine Coast Waldorf school in Freeport, last weekend took fifth place in the girls category at the Maine XC Festival of Champions in Belfast.
At the same competition last year — competing as a boy — Stark-Chessa was 206th place.
Dr. Frank Chessa, the transgender runner’s father, is the Director of Clinical Ethics at Maine Medical Center, and also serves as an assistant professor at the Tufts University School of Medicine, where he helps oversee courses on ethics.
Dr. Chessa also received masters and doctoral degrees in philosophy, and regularly presents at national conferences on topics related to medical ethics.
Maine Medical Center’s Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital prescribes minors puberty blockers and sex change hormones, as well as provides them with surgical consultation as part of the hospital’s “Gender Clinic.”
Chessa did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the controversy.
Stark-Chessa’s mother is Susan Stark, a professor of philosophy at Bates College with primary focuses on feminist philosophy and the ethics of race and gender.
Her biographical webpage lists the two projects she is currently working on as arguing for the “moral and social imperative of making reparations,” as well as advocating for alternative approaches to childbirth due to high maternal mortality rates in the U.S., which her biography states are “especially high for Black and brown birthing mothers.”
Some of her published work and presentations include “Overcoming a Puzzle about Inclusion and Anti-Racism,” “Taking Responsibility for Oppression: Affirmative Action and Racial Injustice,” “Reparations, COVID-19, and the Persistent Ideology of White Supremacy,” and “Why Equal Protection Requires Exclusionary Practices.”
Susan Stark is also the co-chair and co-founder of the Maine Coast Waldorf School’s “Committee on Equity and Inclusion,” and has taught electives at the school on ethics.
Stark did not immediately respond for comment on whether she, as a feminist ethicist, has any reservations about biological males competing against biological females.
Katherine Collins, a high school track mom from Winterport, went on Fox & Friends after last weekend’s race to call out the “unfairness” of Stark-Chessa competing against the female runners.
“It’s all a matter of unfairness,” Collins said. “The men are bigger, stronger and faster than women.”
“Obviously, there is an unfair advantage, but they’ve allowed this,” she explained, criticizing the Maine Principals Association (MPA) for allowing transgender athletes to compete in alignment with their gender identity.
“Last year, in outdoor track, in the Class-C state meet, two boys participated. One podiumed and was moved on to the New England track meet. So a girl was put aside and not allowed to medal and not allowed to participate in a higher level because of this boy,” Collins said.
The MPA policy states that “all students should have the opportunity to participate in MPA activities in a manner that is consistent with their gender identity, unless such participation would result in an unfair athletic advantage or would present an unacceptable risk of injury to other student athletes.”
The athletics director at Stark-Chessa’s school, Susan Sonntag, has said that the school adheres to Maine law prohibiting “Unlawful educational discrimination,” per the Daily Mail.
“We support all our students at Maine Coast Waldorf School, and are proud that our students are given the opportunity to participate in all of our school programs,” Sonntag said.
A bill that would have banned students who aren’t female from participating in women’s and girl’s sports in Maine failed to pass the Democrat-controlled legislature in June.
…I’m sure Barbara Bush was a strong advocate of this lunacy. smh
Congrats to the three badass females that outran the sex change person!! This is a woman’s issue. Men’s sport should be open to anyone. But other teams set a lower bar to give weaker people a chance. If women want to allow trans athletes to compete in woman’s sports, then they better be prepared to lose. Men are better at sport.
Look it’s simple if you have a penis you are a male if you have a vagina you are a female.
Men have their sports and women have their sports so to be fair the Transgenders should have their own sports as well because apparently they can’t keep up with Men but they are to fast and strong for women. Oh that’s right they were given the opportunity but no one signed up because they wouldn’t get the attention from media
He can call himself whatever he wants, but those look like man legs to me!
Unfortunately, what it’s going to take to stop this is also harmful to females. Any time a trans woman enters a competition, all biological women should refuse to compete. Let the trans person compete by himself, making the victory meaningless and showing a solidarity against this.
I know it’s a horrible sacrifice to make after training for years. But this is now bigger than a few individuals and a few competitions. This is about the future of women’s sports. As other men who couldn’t win against men decide competing as a female is worth it for the win, how long will it be before it’s pointless for women to even try?
What I’m failing to see here is any comments about his parents!!! And the sexually degrading and destruction of our kids , and society ,in the college’s and medical institutions and school board where they work and or volunteer! His parents have obviously GREATLY influenced their child to believe he can be a girl, which is physically and biologically IMPOSSIBLE ! Barbra bush hospital and the Maine medical center , Bates college sould be ASHAMED of them selves !!! They are part of the total destruction or our society and total confusion and utter mutilation of our kids !!! DISGUSTING!
Rush used to call these parents from the 60s, “Red Diaper Doper Babies.” I just call them commie freaks.
How is coming in fourth “destroying” the field?
Seriously – if you have a complaint, fine – but the hysterical and misleading stuff doesn’t work.
If this kid, who I wonder was some kind of a social experiment of his parents would have came out and said “Since I now identify I have decided it would be unfair to continue competing” I would bet the 98% of the people who think S-SC actions are despicable may have had a different opinion. I do feel a little sorry for the kid since nothing on the internet ever goes away and this is how S-SC will be known forevermore. But all is not lost, in this world this would make an open/closed case for S-SC vs the parents, after all it is their fault.
Lucinda Meyer, you are absolutely correct! Refuse to participate unless they bar the trans people from competing with the females! That includes the females that have transitioned to male AND males that have “transitioned” to female. IF they think they are now men, THEN they should not be competing in female sports!
Only a sophomore, could win the whole thing as a junior and senior.
And no, men’s sports should not be open to everyone either. We have two sexes and segregated sports for a reason.
I believe four amazing young women crossed the finish line before freeport runner. Course record setting runs please celebrate that.
Great reporting Ed!
Every normal person knows its unfair for boys to play in girls sports. Bad things like this happen when good people do nothing. Too much patience and sleeping at the wheel for the right. Time to take back our nation and its moral, Christian values.
“You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.”
– Kahlil Gibran –
1883 – 1931
Stop giving donations s to Barbara Bush. They’ve done soo much good and they are now a progressive Democrat operation. Shut it down folks no more money
fifth place isn’t “destroying,” so the title of this is exaggerated for attention. It also basically doxxes the parents- is it really a surprise that the parents are liberal? Why is that news? If you’re a grown adult, and you’re fired up about a high school student running a race, maybe find a better hobby. For everyone saying stuff like “let’s take our nation back and restore Christian values,” just send your kids to a private school that reflects those values, and let everyone else live. If you truly value civil liberty and religious freedom, don’t force your religious values on everyone else, and let them be free.
A biological male should not be running with biological females. Clearly an unfair advantage to those young ladies putting in the effort.
A biological male should not be running with biological females. Clearly an unfair advantage to those young ladies putting in the effort.
Sex is binary and immutable. Keep sports competition based on sex, male or female categories. Sex is determined at conception and cannot be changed. No matter how many drugs he takes or surgeries a male has, he is still a male. A female is not a hormone level or a collection of body parts.