Sign the petition to demand Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) allow Lily Sigler to play lacrosse at Independence High School! We must act fast, rosters are due by Friday, March 1, 2024. More importantly, we need to show Lily our support and that it is inhumane to deny her legal right to an education with the best path forward to healing for her mental health and physical wellbeing; the given right to play lacrosse is one of the most critical pieces to her healing journey.

Please also consider attending Tuesday's School Board meeting, open to all in show of support, only residents may speak.

Residents of Loudoun, please consider also filling out these two forms on Lily's behalf: 

1. https://www.lcps.org/lcpscommentandcomplaintform
2. https://lcpstitleix.guardianconduct.com/incident-reporting?incident_type=title%20IX%20formal%20complaint

We, a community of people who value the importance of mental health, and particularly the benefit of sport on a young person's wellbeing, come together to petition the Loudoun County School Board show the same belief; rather than publicly display and practice the opposite. Specifically, we demand that LCPS approve and sign the request for Lily Sigler to be eligible for VHSL activities under the VHSL 28A-7-2 policy and LCPS Handbook. VHSL states, "Waivers should be considered for the welfare of the student." Likewise, the LCPS handbook states, "A waiver may be considered for transfer that are...for the welfare of the student." LCPS preaches their values to protect student health and welfare, yet most of us are witnessing a student-player denied when it truly matters. Lily's health continues to be impacted far more than it ever should be; and LCPS needs to act before any further harm, especially self-harm, is done. We are proud of Lily for fighting back against stigmas about mental health and putting in work to improve her health as a youth, and we ask the adults to do the same.

Lily Sigler is currently denied to play the sport she loves, lacrosse, in her final year of public education at LCPS - the infamous senior year. For good reasons, VHSL and the LCPS handbook do make efforts to deter *unethical* transfers (for example, those that solely try to transfer for a better sports team and some families rent empty apartments near the new school for their child to play a sport; rather than those who truly transfer for ethical and understandable reasons such as Lily's case). For Lily, her high school years have been a struggle due to mental health and wellness at her former and now current school. Lily experienced bullying, worked with counselors and therapists, and still struggled to find peace at her former school. Under the advice of medical charge for Lily's health and wellbeing, Lily transferred to a nearby high school (6.7 miles, 14 minutes away); a school where she has supportive friends and classmates. Here, the bullying unfortunately continues from adults denying Lily a signed waiver she needs to play lacrosse at her new school as a transfer student.

Lily is an ambassador for Morgan's Message, an organization that is very vocal about the importance of mental health, and deterring silent suffering and suicide prevention. To read more about Morgan's Message, you can read here: https://www.morgansmessage.org/morgans-story

We love you and support you, Lily! We are fighting back and will show forgiveness to LCPS once they do the right thing by allowing you to play this season. 

As a former LCPS affiliate, Lily's former College Recruiting Director, and still a very active lacrosse coach; I am both disgusted and heartbroken for Lily. Objectively speaking, as I have not coached at either of Lily's schools, I have the highest levels of respect for some members on each of the coaching staffs for both schools, and I only coach high school club lacrosse (which includes current and former players from both of the high schools); she did not leave the former school for a stronger team based on my analysis of each team's strengths and weaknesses. LCPS needs to evaluate this with the same objectivity and if they do not know the sport of lacrosse well, nor are they equipped to objectively make such a decision, then they need to rely on the expertise of medical professionals which state Lily needs to play lacrosse at her new school for her mental health recovery. We are talking about YOUTH sports. There is no monetary or political gain for Lily or her family if LCPS signs the waiver Lily needs in a TIMELY manner. If I were still a resident of Loudoun, I would strongly object my tax dollars be spent on lawyers for LCPS to dispute this case.