Was the Vote Rigged for A Trans Homecoming Queen?

A transgender teen was crowned homecoming queen at New Jersey's Trenton Central High School this weekend, but outraged students and parents are claiming the vote was rigged in her favor. The elected homecoming king refused to "walk with another male" to accept his crown.

According to the Trentonian, a faculty member allowed students to stuff the ballot box because she wanted to "make history." The unnamed staffer allegedly changed the voting location and left the ballot box unattended.

Parents and staff spoke to the newspaper to express their concerns, but most of the comments were transphobic and cast the teen as either a naive victim or ineligible to be elected because she is transgender. Some alleged fraud and others claimed the finaly tally was the result of a practical joke. Several parents questioned the teen's gender, saying she should not have been allowed to run because it is "unfair to young females."

One parent, Murf Antionette, told the Trentonian:

"We are not bashing the [transgender teen]; how [she] chooses to live [her] life is not our issue. But the teen is registered at the school as a male. So why was the teacher allowed to let this person compete with other females? No one at the school dislikes the [transgender teen], but this teacher had an ulterior motive. Students who were actually involved in the homecoming process claimed the teacher said she didn't care if she lost her job, and that she wanted to make history. The teacher did not get permission from any administrator to do this."

Ruffled parents claimed that the election would somehow send a message to other girls that "they're not good enough" and that a separate category should have been created for LGBT teens. Only one person quoted in the story worried how the controversy could affect the teenage queen's self-esteem.

School administrators were unavailable for comment, according to the Trentonian, which also attempted to reach the trans teen and her parents.