Supreme Court takes up two cases challenging transgender sports bans
The states that filed the petitions for the cases want the Supreme Court to decide whether West Virginia's and Idaho's laws restricting transgender student participation violate federal law. | Ted Shaffrey/AP
By Bianca Quilantan
07/03/2025 10:22 AM EDT
The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to take up two cases in which transgender athletes have challenged state laws barring them from competing in women and girls sports.
The states that filed the petitions for West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox want the Supreme Court to decide whether West Virginia's and Idaho's laws restricting transgender student participation violate the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment and Title IX, the federal law that bars sex-based discrimination.
The West Virginia lawsuit was filed in 2021 on behalf of Becky Pepper-Jackson, a transgender middle schooler who was looking to try out for her school's girls cross-country team and has played sports on teams that match her gender identity for several seasons.
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