The father of a Michigan volleyball player suing over a transgender opponent blasted Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed’s “60 Minutes” remarks, saying his family’s experience shows the dispute is far from manufactured.
“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 Monroe High School volleyball player 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.”
Michigan high school volleyball player Briley Lechner. (Sean Lechner)
Lechner’s response followed an exchange in El-Sayed’s extended interview with Ross Douthat. Douthat asked about parental control over education, including transgender students’ participation on sports teams, and how to resolve situations in which rights conflict.
“I don’t know that that’s actually true,” El-Sayed responded. “I think we manufacture these social issues…”
Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed poses for a portrait in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (Evan Cobb for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
El-Sayed argued that smartphones make it unrealistic for parents to prevent children from encountering information they find objectionable. He later said eligibility decisions should belong to sports governing bodies.
“I’m not running to govern sports,” he said.
For the Lechners, the issue has led to federal litigation.
Briley and her father filed suit Oct. 9 against Monroe Public Schools, the Michigan High School Athletic Association and district officials. Their attorneys at the Thomas More Law Center allege officials knew before a Sept. 9, 2025, match that Ann Arbor Skyline’s girls’ volleyball team included a transgender athlete, but did not tell Monroe players or parents. The suit also alleges the opposing player was…
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