Two lawsuits regarding transgender girl athletes were the focus of hearings in federal court in New Hampshire. The first case involves two transgender teen girls, one who played soccer on the girls team and another planning to join the track team. A federal judge previously ruled that these teens can participate in girls school sports teams as they challenge the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act on behalf of all transgender girl students in New Hampshire.
During the court session, lawyers for the teens expressed their desire for a trial to be conducted and resolved before the next school year begins in September. They highlighted that school districts and others in the state are seeking guidance on the law. On the other hand, lawyers representing the state requested more time for preparation. Judge Talesha Saint-Marc suggested further discussions between both parties to finalize the trial schedule.
The Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, signed into law by Gov. Chris Sununu, prohibits transgender athletes in grades 5 to 12 from participating in teams that correspond with their gender identity. The law mandates schools to categorize teams as girls, boys, or coed, with eligibility determined by birth certificates or other evidence. Sununu emphasized that the law aims to maintain fairness and safety in women’s sports by upholding integrity and competitive balance.
In a separate case, school district officials in Bow defended their decision to prevent parents from wearing pink wristbands with “XX” at a girls high school soccer game. The parents, who sued the district, argue that their First Amendment rights were violated. The district issued no-trespass orders against two parents for wearing the wristbands, which have since expired.
The parents intend to continue wearing the wristbands at other school events during this and future school years. The district maintains that it acted appropriately to protect a transgender girl from intimidation and harassment during the soccer game. It asserts that the sanctions imposed on the parents were reasonable for violating the school's policies governing athletic events.
