The Supreme Court is about to decide whether to ban trans women from women’s sports
One of the last decade’s most consequential changes to how the Supreme Court operates is the growth of the so-called shadow docket — a process that allows the justices to decide cases unusually quickly, and often without full briefing or oral argument. Historically, the Court would typically allow contentious legal issues to percolate in the […]
The Supreme Court is preparing to rule on a case that could potentially ban transgender women from participating in women's sports at high schools and universities. The plaintiffs in K.M.K. v. Washington Interscholastic Activities Association argue that the Court should rule against transgender women being allowed to compete in women's sports, even in states that support trans inclusion in sports.
One of the plaintiffs is a high school women's team wrestler who claims she was sexually assaulted by a transgender opponent during a match. However, the prosecutor's office decided not to prosecute the alleged assault as there was not enough evidence to prove a crime beyond a reasonable doubt. The school district is also investigating the allegation but has not concluded their investigation.
The plaintiffs' lawyers, from the Christian right law firm Alliance Defending Freedom, make arguments that could potentially ban all school athletes, whether cis or trans, from participating in competitive sports. The legal question at hand is whether federal law overrides state laws regarding trans participation in women's sports. This issue has not been decided by the Supreme Court before and the justices should take their time to fully consider the matter to avoid potentially harming millions of school athletes.
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