Two teenage girls, Parker Tirrell and Iris Turmelle, are fighting to continue participating in school sports despite a new law restricting transgender athletes. The girls are represented by GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders, the ACLU of New Hampshire, and Goodwin. A deal is being hashed out to allow them to keep playing sports while litigation is ongoing.
The parties involved are working on a joint stipulation to allow the girls to continue participating in school sports and protect the school districts from liability. If the stipulation is not filed by Monday, a hearing will be scheduled. The lawsuit argues that the new law violates Title IX and the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.
Superintendent Kyla A. Welch of the Pemi-Baker Regional School District, which includes Plymouth Regional High School, stated that the district had to enforce the new restrictions despite not having a policy in place yet. Proponents of the law argue that it protects safety and fairness for girls’ sports, but critics, including Tirrell and Turmelle, argue that being transgender is not an accurate proxy for athletic performance.
Tirrell, who is taking puberty-blocking medication and hormone therapy, does not believe she has an unfair advantage. The lawsuit alleges that it would be “painful and humiliating” for her to switch to the boys’ team. The defendants include New Hampshire Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut and members of the state Board of Education. The New Hampshire Department of Justice and the school district defendants have not commented on the case.
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