Helix Charter HS Flagged CIF on Rumor Christian HS Forfeited Game over Lesbian

After Christian High School of El Cajon abruptly forfeited a girls varsity volleyball match with Helix Charter High School, the La Mesa school’s athletic director sought in vain to learn why.

Christian High School officials gave vague responses — prompting Helix to ask San Diego’s CIF office to review the matter.

The first response — shared by Christian High’s Jeanelle Benton in the school’s athletic office — was the team forfeited “because of circumstances they encountered with our team,” referring to the Scotties.

Then, according to a timeline obtained via a Public Records Act request, Helix athletic director Damon Chase wrote:

At 2:27 pm (Sept. 12), our coach received a text from Christian Coach Davis Ransom stating that “a situation has risen that necessitates us forfeiting tonight’s varsity volleyball match. I am sorry for the late notice.”

Almost two weeks ago, Times of San Diego quoted a source who wanted to remain anonymous that a lesbian’s presence on the Helix varsity team was the reason for the forfeit. Helix said it didn’t know why the match was forfeited, and Christian High School never responded to my queries.

But Chase texted Helix volleyball coach Zoe Varela-Beltz about text messages she had received.

“We believe that Christian H.S. student-athletes, admin … and parents assumed that we have a transgender student on our team,” Chase said in email to the Grossmont Union High School District and Joe Heinz, commissioner of the CIF-San Diego section. “We do not have a transgender student-athlete on our volleyball team and it should not matter if we did.”

Chase continued:

At no point did anyone from Christian H.S. reach out to any coach, administrator or Athletic Director at Helix Charter H.S. regarding any concerns related to the cancellation of yesterday’s match. Calls from myself to the Christian H.S. Athletic Director has yet to be returned. We believe very strongly that this type of action by member schools violates the principles of what education based athletics are all about. We believe that there is no place for discrimination, hate, intolerance, bigotry in our society. The actions by Christian H.S. violate the CIF Code of Conduct and Six Pillars of Character, CA Law and Title IX. We trust that you will handle this matter appropriately.

According to text messages with coach Varela-Beltz: “The whole thing initially started with a student rumor and it sounded like the school/program leadership did very little or nothing at all to vet the rumor, and just cancelled with our AD. However, they told the parent body that they (Christian HS coach) spoke to the…