Judge Blocks Suspensions Of Middle School Female Athletes Who Refused To Compete Against Male Studen

[Elderberry]

Daily Caller by Kate Anderson  5/3/2024

Judge Blocks Suspensions Of Middle School Female Athletes Who Refused To Compete Against Male Student

A West Virginia judge granted a preliminary injunction allowing several middle school girls to compete after the school district banned them from competition after refusing to play against a biological male, according to 12 WBOY, a local media outlet.

Five middle school female athletes forfeited their positions at a track meet in April after they were informed that they would have to compete against a biological male, prompting the school district to allegedly bar the girls from future competitions, according to WDTV News. The students sued, and Republican Attorney General Patrick Morrisey of West Virginia filed an amicus brief in support of the students.

A Harrison County judge ordered that the school’s decision be temporarily halted while the lawsuit plays out, according to 12 WBOY.

“I want to say to these students and their parents: I have your backs,” Morrisey said in a press release. “You saw unfairness and you expressed your disappointment and sacrificed your personal performances in a sport that you love; exercised your constitutionally protected freedom of speech and expression.”

More: https://dailycallernewsfoundation.org/2024/05/03/judge-blocks-suspensions-of-middle-school-female-athletes-who-refused-to-compete-against-male-student/

[mountaineer]

My understanding is that the girls intentionally fouled. That is, they stepped out of the circle without throwing, as this typical high school track and field rulebook describes:

Foul Puts: Not measured

1. The competitor, after stepping into the circle fail to pause before starting the put, or touches the circle, not including the inner face of the stop board or band, if one is used, the ground outside the circle, the top or end of the stop board with any portion of their body before the throw is marked.  ...

There's an athletics discussion forum called Let's Run. Mr. M, a former coach and HS and college runner, visits it daily. They talk about everything happening in the world of track and field. Some of the lefties there are outraged that these five girls "refused" to compete against the boy, accusing them of (and I'm not kidding) attacking him by stepping out of the circle.

[PeteS in CA]

The sad fact is that even if the girls win their lawsuit, it is very likely their school district will find other means of retaliating.