The father of a Monroe High School volleyball player suing over a transgender opponent has pushed back on Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, after El-Sayed described disputes over transgender athletes’ participation in girls’ sports as a “manufactured” issue during an extended “60 Minutes” interview.
“Mr. El-Sayed, how can you look my daughter in the eyes and call this a manufactured issue? She is living this fight,” Sean Lechner, father of Briley Lechner, said in a statement. “Our entire family has lived it for a year, and it’s a living hell!! it is far from over.”
El-Sayed’s comment came during his interview with Ross Douthat, who asked about parental control over education and how to resolve conflicts when students’ rights clash, including questions of transgender participation on sports teams.
“I don’t know that that’s actually true,” El-Sayed said. “I think we manufacture these social issues…”
El-Sayed went on to argue that smartphones have made it unrealistic for parents to shield children from information they might object to, and said he believes decisions about athletic eligibility should rest with sports governing bodies rather than politicians. “I’m not running to govern sports,” he said.
For the Lechner family, the dispute is not abstract. Briley and her father filed a federal lawsuit on Oct. 9 against Monroe Public Schools, the Michigan High School Athletic Association and district officials. Attorneys from the Thomas More Law Center, representing the family, allege school officials knew ahead of a Sept. 9, 2025, match that Ann Arbor Skyline’s girls’ volleyball team included a transgender athlete but did not inform Monroe’s players or their parents. The suit further alleges the opposing player used the girls’ locker-room facilities without Monroe athletes being told.
Monroe Public Schools previously determined the family’s Title IX allegations were unsubstantiated. The lawsuit disputes that finding and challenges how the district handled the family’s appeal.
“I find your statement disgusting. You undermine female athletes and disrespect families who deserve answers,” Lechner said of El-Sayed’s remarks. “My daughter’s privacy, dignity and right to fair competition deserve more than your manufactured, political talking points.”
Senate Race Backdrop
El-Sayed is running against Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan’s U.S. Senate election on Tuesday. In the “60 Minutes” interview, he argued that culture-war controversies distract voters from pocketbook concerns such as groceries, gas prices and access to medical care.
Lechner urged Michigan voters to weigh the issue carefully at the ballot box.
“My faith and my family come first. I pray every Michigander votes for the person, not the party, and demands leaders with the courage to protect our children,” Lechner said. “Our daughters should never pay the price for a politician’s cowardice—and I’ll make damn sure my voice, my vote and my fight for my daughter are impossible to ignore!!!”
El-Sayed’s campaign has not yet issued a response to Lechner’s statement.
