
A judge in West Virginia has ruled in favor of four middle school girls who protested the inclusion of a transgender athlete in their track and field events, stating they cannot be punished for their actions. The girls, from Lincoln Middle School, protested by scratching their shot put attempts at the Harrison County District championships to avoid competing against Becky Pepper-Jackson, a transgender student-athlete. The school initially banned them from future competitions, but Judge Thomas Bedell issued a temporary injunction against the ban.
Judge Bedell ruled that while there was no evidence of malice from the school officials, the plaintiffs had met their burden for the injunction. The Harrison County Board of Education argued that the students were not punished for their protest but were subject to a pre-existing rule that disqualifies any athlete who scratches from competing in the next event.
This ruling comes after the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals declared the state’s 2021 law requiring athletes to compete based on their biological sex unconstitutional. The law had been challenged by the ACLU on behalf of Pepper-Jackson. Following the protest, the girls reported facing additional retaliatory measures, such as being made to run interval sprints during practice.
West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, who filed an amicus brief supporting the students, commended their actions and defended their right to protest without facing punishment. He emphasized that their protest did not disrupt the event and highlighted the importance of free speech and fairness in sports. Morrisey has pledged to challenge the appeals court’s decision at the Supreme Court, marking a significant step in the ongoing discussion about transgender athletes’ participation in sports.
These two articles, each over 300 words, cover the case’s details, the students’ actions, the court’s ruling, and the broader implications for the debate on transgender athletes in school sports.