OutKick Reporter Harassed Covering Girls Volleyball, Trans Player, As Principal Does Nothing

The assignment seemed straightforward: Report on a Michigan girls high school volleyball playoff game that included a trans-identifying male player. But what happened at Ann Arbor Skyline on Thursday night was anything but typical. I was shadowed by the school principal and harassed and stalked by Skyline supporters. 

As OutKick previously reported exclusively, the Skyline girls volleyball team has a trans-identifying biological male (who OutKick is not naming because the person is believed to be a minor) in its starting lineup. They defeated Dexter on Thursday night, 3-1, to advance to the Michigan state regional semifinal. 

Skyline, thanks to its district-best regular season record, hosted the District 15 tournament and emerged as champions. The Eagles will face DeWitt on Tuesday, Nov. 11, at Mason High School in Mason, Mich. 

As OutKick has reported throughout the fall season, Skyline appears to have attempted to hide its biological male player's identity, with many parents of opposing teams expressing outrage when they discovered their teenage girls were competing against a male. 

The Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) allows trans-identifying males to compete in girls' sports with an approved waiver, though it has not confirmed to OutKick whether it has approved any such waiver. 

The organization said in September that it had not granted any waivers since last fall (waivers have to be approved every year), but has ignored multiple follow-up requests asking if one has since been granted. 

And while that's a story in its own right, another story unfolded in the stands on Thursday night at Skyline High School. 

Skyline Principal Followed Me Around the Gym

As we noted in a previous story, the MHSAA denied OutKick a media credential to cover the District 15 tournament, or any of the MHSAA playoff events. 

"The MHSAA only provides Tournament Media Passes to outlets determined [to be] primarily a news-gathering organization, with an emphasis on regularly scheduled event coverage. Outlets must also have a demonstrated history and reputation for providing sustained game coverage of high school sports," MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties Jon Ross said in an email to OutKick. 

Because of this, we bought tickets for the two semifinal matches on Wednesday and the final on Thursday. 

Following Wednesday night's semifinal matches, two women approached me and berated me for coming to cover the event and the trans-identifying male on the Skyline girls volleyball team. But that was nothing compared to Thursday. 

Ann Arbor Skyline High School has a trans-identifying male player on its girls volleyball team, and they advanced to the Michigan state regional semifinals. 

(OutKick)

Shortly after I arrived inside the Skyline gym, I attempted to make contact with a few parents on the Dexter side. As a reporter, I wanted to see if any of them had an opinion on their daughters competing against a biological male. But something strange happened. 

Just as I was introducing myself to two gentlemen donning Dexter gear, a woman came over and stood oddly close to the three of us. The two men looked at the woman, asked me to repeat who I was and then politely declined to speak. 

I asked the woman who she was. 

"I am the Skyline High School principal," she responded. She did not provide her name, but her name is Casey Elmore. 

"Oh, great!" I replied. "My name is Dan Zaksheske, and I am a reporter for OutKick." 

I held out my hand for a handshake. Elmore looked at my hand and shook her head no. 

"You won't shake my hand?" I asked. Again, she shook her head no. 

Then I asked her if she would speak to me about the Skyline girls volleyball team. 

"Absolutely not," she said, flatly. 

Ann Arbor Skyline High School Principal Casey Elmore.

(Ann Arbor Public Schools)

I wasn't surprised, although it seemed like a good opportunity for her to tell her side of the story. This didn't seem like a big deal, so I walked over to a different section to see if I could find any parents willing to talk. That's when I noticed that Elmore was following me around. 

To test that theory, I moved locations several times. Each time, within seconds, Elmore walked toward me. She tried to make it seem like she wasn't following me, but it couldn't have been more clear. 

Skyline, Pro-Trans Radicals Harassed Me Throughout Match

She wasn't the only one, either. After the match started, I noticed a man standing about eight inches behind me. Every time Skyline scored a point, the man would scream at the top of his lungs, "Go Skyline! Woohoo!" right into my ear. 

At first, I paid no attention. But after the fifth or sixth time, I suspected he might be doing it on purpose. I took a selfie to document his presence. 

After I took the picture, he decided to say something. 

"You need to ask permission to take a picture of someone," he said. 

"We are in a public place, sir, I do not need your permission," I responded. 

"Well, it's rude to take someone's picture without asking," he shot back. 

"Well, it's rude to stand directly behind someone and scream in their ear, so I guess we're even," I said. 

That's when he started verbally making a scene. 

"What are you doing here? Do you have a kid on the team? You don't, do you?" he began, before raising his voice, so others in the vicinity would hear him.  

"You're just here watching a bunch of high school girls, huh? Boy, that sounds pretty CREEPY," he said, in an elevated tone. 

"I'm here doing my job," I replied. 

During this exchange, the principal stood by and said nothing to the man, who was both invading my personal space and clearly attempting to intimidate me. He wore a T-shirt that said, "May you have the confidence of a mediocre white man." 

More Skyline Supporters Joined in on Harassment 

I removed myself from the situation and found a new spot to watch the game. Sure enough, the man followed me. This continued throughout the match. Each time I would move to a new location, he would follow me, stand behind me, and scream in my ear. 

At one point, I turned to leave the gym and head to the restroom. I bumped into the man's shoulder because I couldn't avoid him because of his proximity to my position. That's when he stuck out his foot and tried to trip me to the ground. 

Stunned, I looked up and saw a horrified look on the ticket-taker's face. 

"Did you see that?!" I asked, still somewhat shocked. 

"He just tried to trip you!" she said, also seeming very surprised by the altercation. 

Despite this, I continued with my evening. I went to the restroom and returned a few minutes later. The guy once again took up his post right behind me. At this point, I started to feel very uncomfortable. After moving to yet another location, I decided to take a video of the man following me. 

While I was filming, a woman wearing glasses with tattoos covering her arm, waved at my camera. She started with the same speech about taking videos and photos without permission. I tried to explain that I wasn't taking video of her, but trying to capture the man who wouldn't stop stalking me. She then proceeded to make similar comments as the man made earlier about my presence at the match despite not being related to any of the players on the court.

Several Skyline supporters, including the woman on the left, harassed an OutKick reporter for trying to his job covering a trans-identifying male player on the girls volleyball team. 

(OutKick)

It almost seemed choreographed, as if a group of people got together, talked about my potential appearance at the match, and came up with a strategy to harass me throughout the night. At another point, I happened to make eye contact with one of the women who had yelled at me the prior night. She nodded her head toward the man standing behind me, as if to say she sent him to try and menace me. 

Because this now seemed calculated, I decided to look for a security guard or police officer to alert them of the situation. When I didn't see one, I asked the principal if there was any law enforcement on site. She said there wasn't, so I called the Ann Arbor Police Department and asked them to send someone. 

Unfortunately, due to recent tragic events, you can't be too careful. I wasn't sure if they had anything planned for after the match, when I would eventually leave and head to the parking lot. I also didn't want to take any chances. 

An officer showed up, right as the match was ending. I took a video of Skyline winning the District 15 final to advance to the Michigan regional semifinal. Then the officer and I left the gym and I headed back to my hotel. 

The "Tolerant" Left Puts Its Intolerance on Display

Clearly, the many Skyline supporters did not want me there. However, I should note that I heard at least one Dexter parent yelling, "Cheater!" when the transgender athlete made a play. In addition, I received an email from a Dexter parent who attended the match. 

"I appreciate that you showed up and reported on the game tonight. It was a tense environment that appeared to have a group of pro-trans people surrounding you. Thank you for covering the story," the parent wrote. 

And that's ultimately why I do it. While there's a very loud, very intolerant group on the left who continue to push their radical transgender agenda, there's a larger group of common-sense Americans who want to see the madness end. 

While my experience was not enjoyable, I gained even more respect for OutKick's Riley Gaines. Gaines has faced death threats and once was even held for ransom by a group of radical activists. 

I would never pretend to understand what it's like to do what she does. In fact, I got the smallest taste of it in Ann Arbor, and I can confidently say it's not a situation I would wish on anyone. I wouldn't even wish it on the people who spent their entire night trying to menace and intimidate me. 

That's the difference between us and them. I just wanted to report on the story, so the public has the information. Then, people can make decisions for themselves. Some will agree that biological males don't belong in women's sports. Some will disagree. That's the beauty of being an American. 

But there's a line that shouldn't be crossed. Organizing a coordinated effort of intimidation, with the intent of making someone you disagree with feel physically threatened and unsafe, is not acceptable. 

I sincerely hope those people who showed me so much hate learn to let go of their anger and find some happiness. 

And despite their best efforts, OutKick plans to attend the Nov. 11 match against DeWitt and continue reporting on this story.