New Hampshire Lawsuit Takes Aim at Trump’s Ban on Transgender Athletes in Sports

Two transgender high school athletes, Parker Tirrell and Iris Turmelle, are taking a stand against a federal executive order issued by former President Donald Trump. This order prohibits transgender girls and women from competing in sports that match their gender identity. The athletes are now challenging this rule in court.

The lawsuit, initially filed against a New Hampshire state law that restricts transgender girls in grades 5-12 from participating in school sports, is expanding. Now the complaint includes Trump and federal departments like justice and education. Tirrell and Turmelle argue that the executive order is unfair and goes against their rights under the 14th Amendment and Title IX, which protects against gender discrimination in education.

Henry Klementowicz, from the ACLU of New Hampshire, emphasized that every child should have equal opportunities in school. He noted that Trump’s executive orders echo the state law by targeting and discriminating against transgender students. Both the state and federal actions suggest that these students don’t deserve the same educational rights as their peers.

Earlier, a U.S. District Court in New Hampshire ruled that Tirrell and Turmelle could play on teams that align with their gender identities while their case was pending. Trump’s executive order, dubbed “No Men in Women’s Sports,” aims to cut federal funding from schools that allow transgender girls and women to compete in girls’ sports. It also instructs the Secretary of Education to enforce strict rules against schools that don’t comply.

Following Trump’s directive, the Department of Education launched investigations into schools in Massachusetts that permitted transgender girls and women to play sports matching their gender. The order also tells the Justice Department to follow a recent court ruling that overturned protections for LGBTQI+ students established by the Biden administration.

In a significant judicial decision, a federal judge invalidated these regulations in January, stripping key legal protections for LGBTQI+ individuals in schools. After this ruling, the Education Department indicated it would revert to enforcement practices from the Trump era, complicating the landscape for LGBTQI+ rights in education.