Transgender Coach Changes in Locker Room With Shocked Pennsylvania High School Students

Several incidents involving a transgender, part-time high school tennis coach in Pennsylvania have made some students and parents uncomfortable. And now, the school board is divided on whether to renew the coach’s contract.

Employed at Gettysburg Area School District, the coach was hired as David Yates. Mr. Yates now goes by the name Sasha Yates, and publicly identifies as a transgender woman, according to the Gettysburg Times.

Mr. Yates has been a seasonal boys and girls tennis coach since 2018. Sports news coverage of the Gettysburg tennis team used the name David Yates in 2021, but in 2022, the coach was being called Sasha Yates. The school district’s website lists an email address using the name Sasha, but click on the email address, and the name David appears. Mr. Yates did not respond to a request for comment on this story.

After several incidents involving students, one in the fall of 2022 and another in the spring of 2023, the school board had decided not to rehire Mr. Yates for another season. However, no replacement was hired and, to the surprise of some board members, in July, the name David Yates reappeared on the hiring list for another season of tennis coaching.