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Supreme Court to Hear Two Cases Testing State Bans on Transgender Athletes in Girls’ Sports

The outcome could reshape how federal law treats sex and gender in school athletics.

Overview

  • Oral arguments are set for Tuesday, Jan. 13, at 10 a.m. ET in Little v. Hecox (Idaho) and West Virginia v. B.P.J.
  • Lower courts sided with the challengers, with the Fourth Circuit finding West Virginia’s law violates Title IX and the Ninth Circuit keeping Idaho’s ban on hold for Lindsay Hecox.
  • Hecox has asked the Supreme Court to dismiss her case as moot after leaving competitive sports, and the justices will decide that request after hearing arguments.
  • The Trump administration will argue in support of Idaho and West Virginia, while the ACLU represents the student challengers and Alliance Defending Freedom backs the states.
  • A ruling could affect similar restrictions in roughly 27 states and, legal experts say, influence transgender rights far beyond sports, including identification documents, restrooms, the military, and healthcare.