The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on June 30 that state laws banning transgender girls from participating in all school sports do not violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution or Title IX, the federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in schools that receive federal funding. The decision came in two cases, West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox, and drew immediate statements from New York Attorney General Letitia James and the New York Civil Liberties Union. New York’s own state laws, which independently prohibit schools from excluding trans students from sports, are not affected by the ruling.
In a statement released through the Office of the New York State Attorney General, James said the court “has decided to continue down this dangerous and harmful path,” referring to what she described as a pattern of “cruel and discriminatory laws targeting the trans community” passed by states and localities in recent years. “Today’s ruling ignores fact, science, and decency in favor of abandoning young trans people nationwide,” James said. She pledged to “continue to fight for trans New Yorkers against discriminatory policies.”
According to the NYCLU, the court held only that states may create sports exclusions for transgender athletes under federal law, not that they are required to. The decision applies only to athletics and does not address any other aspect of school life.
