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 TEEN VOLLEYBALL PLAYER FILES LAWSUIT AFTER SHE UNKNOWINGLY SHARED LOCKER ROOM WITH TRANS ATHLETE
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 permitted to use the girls’ locker-room facilities without Monroe athletes being informed.
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The district deemed the family’s Title IX allegations unsubstantiated. The lawsuit challenges that determination and the handling of their appeal.
“I find your statement disgusting. You undermine female athletes and disrespect families who deserve answers,” Lechner said of El-Sayed’s remarks.
Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic Senate candidate in Michigan, at a campaign event in Detroit, Michigan on August 2, 2026 (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)
“My daughter’s privacy, dignity and right to fair competition deserve more than your manufactured, political talking points.”
El-Sayed faces Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan’s Senate election Tuesday. In the interview, El-Sayed argued that culture-war disputes distract from economic concerns, including groceries, gas and access to medical care.
Lechner urged voters to put their children ahead of party loyalty.
“My faith and my family come first. I pray every Michigander votes for the person, not the party, and demands leaders with the courage to protect our children,” he said.
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“Our daughters should never pay the price for a politician’s cowardice—and I’ll make damn sure my voice, my vote and my fight for my daughter are impossible to ignore!!!”
OutKick has reached out to El-Sayed’s campaign for a response.