A Michigan father has claimed he’s received death threats and been called a ‘Nazi’ for speaking out after his daughter unknowingly competed against a transgender volleyball player.
Sean Lechner’s 16-year-old daughter, Briley, played against a biological male from a rival school when she was a freshman in late 2024 and then again early in 2025.
They eventually discovered the opponent was a biological male late last year, leading Lechner to file a Title IX complaint in December. He claimed it constituted a ‘violation of privacy and bodily integrity protections under Title IX’.
Lechner alleged his daughter and her Monroe High School teammates had to share a locker room with the transgender athlete, who competed for Ann Arbor Skyline.
‘We’ve been threatened with violence, called Nazis, subjected to racist insults, and even received threats to blow up our home,’ Lechner told Fox News Digital.
‘The situation became so serious that the FBI contacted us. All of this because I’m a father standing beside my daughter, her teammates, and every female athlete who deserves safety, privacy, fairness, and equal opportunity.’
Briley Lechner’s (pictured) father has claimed he’s received death threats and been called a ‘Nazi’ for speaking out after his daughter competed against a trans volleyball player
Lechner alleged his daughter (pictured) and her Monroe High School teammates had to share a locker room with the transgender athlete, who competed for Ann Arbor Skyline
Briley also claims she’s received ‘death threats’ and messages from trolls that they will come to the family’s home or Lechner’s work.
She also accused local education leaders and lawmakers of abandoning them and failing to ensure female athletes can compete in a fair game. ‘It makes me feel like I’m almost on my own, in a way,’ she added.
Briley also admitted she was ‘devastated’ after finding out her opponent was a biological male, although it quickly made sense.
‘I was devastated and, of course, concerned,’ she said. ‘I was very much caught off guard.
‘We were asking why we weren’t informed ahead of time. We were told that there was nothing they could do about it and that they had to protect this trans athlete.
‘They could jump much higher. They could swing much harder, get the ball down a lot harder, move quicker. It just seemed like they were stronger all the way around.’
After Lechner’s Title IX complaint was filed, Monroe’s athletic director Chet Hesson gave an unauthorized interview to Uncloseted Media, in which he defended the trans athlete in question.
The move quickly landed him in hot water, with Outkick and CBS News reporting back in December that he was placed on administrative leave by the school’s leadership.
Chet Hesson made an unauthorized media appearance in which he spoke about trans issues
In a statement to Outkick, Monroe’s superintendent Andrew Shaw said: ‘Monroe Public Schools only issues official statements through the Office of the Superintendent or the Board President.
‘Individual staff members expressing their personal opinions do not express the official position of the District. The Athletic Director’s podcast appearance was not previously authorized by the District and is not an official statement on behalf of the District.’
The outlet also alleged to have seen an internal email sent to staff on December 8, which instructed them not to speak to the media while the Title IX investigation was underway, instead asking them to direct inquiries to the administration building.
Despite that, Uncloseted Media released a snippet of its interview with Hesson, who could be seen wearing the school’s crest as he defended the rival player.
‘My heart goes out to them, whether they’re trans or not, just having that much negative [attention] on you and rhetoric is incredible,’ he told the host.
Outkick also reported a further email sent to staff by superintendent Shaw, which appeared to confirm Hesson’s absence from the school.
‘I am reaching out to let you know Dr. Hesson is on administrative leave. During this time, we ask you to not speculate on why but to be respectful to the process and to him,’ it read.
The Title IX complaint filed by parent Sean Lechner alleges that girls on the Monroe team were forced to share a locker room with the biological male player from Ann Arbor, constituting a ‘violation of privacy and bodily integrity protections under Title IX’.
