Biological Male Wins Girls Shot Put Championship in West Virginia

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A biological male recently won first place in the girls shot put at a West Virginia state track and field championship — beating the second-place finisher by more than two feet.

This same athlete — who has taken first place in past years — is at the center of a U.S. Supreme Court case that will determine whether states can protect fairness in women’s sports. The Court is expected to rule in the case this month.

We have written repeatedly about how women’s athletics is at risk of being erased in America.

Letting men compete in women’s sports is unfair and reverses 50 years of advancements for women.

Female cyclists, swimmers, powerlifters, sprinters, volleyball players, and others have seen their sports radically changed by men who claim to be women.

In some cases, letting biological males compete against women and girls can even be dangerous.

Stories like this one are part of the reason Arkansas passed Act 461 by Sen. Missy Irvin (R — Mountain View) and Rep. Sonia Barker (R — Smackover) in 2021 to protects fairness in women’s sports in Arkansas. The law prevents male student athletes from competing against girls in women’s athletics at school.

Right now the U.S. Supreme Court is considering a federal lawsuit from West Virginia that could affect state laws like Arkansas’ Act 461.

Family Council joined dozens of state policy organizations and more than 200 state legislators in a legal brief in that case last September.

Most Americans believe that athletes should compete according to their biological sex — not their gender identity. We are optimistic the U.S. Supreme Court will agree and uphold fairness in women’s sports.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Basketball Team’s Full Court Press for Religious Liberty Pays Off

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Above: Mid Vermont Christian School basketball players outside of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit in New York City on April 9, 2025 (Photo Credit: Alliance Defending Freedom).

A Christian school in Vermont recently won a major legal victory — and the price tag for violating its constitutional rights was steep.

The Mid Vermont Christian School (MVCS) believes that human beings are created either male or female. In 2023, the MVCS girls’ basketball team decided to forfeit a game rather than violate its religious convictions by forcing its girls to play against a team with a male player. But the Vermont Principals Association decided to punish the school for forfeiting the game by kicking it out of the sports league. That led to a major court battle — and a victory for MVCS.

Now the Vermont Principals Association has agreed to pay a $566,000 settlement for damages and attorneys’ fees to Mid Vermont Christian School.

Our friends at Alliance Defending Freedom represented the school in court. ADF Senior Counsel David Cortman put it plainly: “The government cannot punish religious schools — and the families they serve — by permanently kicking them out of state-sponsored sports simply because the state disagrees with their religious beliefs.”

Stories like this one are part of the reason Arkansas passed Act 461 by Sen. Missy Irvin (R — Mountain View) and Rep. Sonia Barker (R — Smackover) in 2021 to protects fairness in women’s sports in Arkansas.

Letting men compete in women’s sports is unfair and reverses 50 years of advancements for women. Female cyclists, swimmers, powerlifters, sprinters, volleyball players, and others have seen their sports radically changed by men who claim to be women. In some cases it can even be dangerous.

Right now the U.S. Supreme Court is considering a federal case that could affect state laws like Arkansas’ Act 461. Family Council joined dozens of state policy organizations and more than 200 state legislators in a legal brief in that case last September.

Most Americans agree that athletes should compete according to their biological sex — not their gender identity. This settlement between Mid Vermont Christian School and the Vermont Principals Association is a victory for religious freedom, fairness in girls’ sports, and common sense.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Trump Administration Sues Minnesota Department of Education for Violating Fairness in Girls’ Sports

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Last month, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the Minnesota Department of Education and the Minnesota State High School League for letting biological males compete in girls’ athletics.

The complaint filed in federal court says Minnesota’s policies violate Title IX — the federal law that guarantees equal educational opportunities for both sexes. The DOJ argues that letting boys compete in sports designated for girls is sex discrimination.

The facts in the lawsuit are striking. One male student has pitched and batted for a girls’ varsity softball team since at least 2023. In 2025, he led his team to a championship tournament, was named to the All-Tournament Team, and set school records — all while competing against all-girl teams. The DOJ says athletes like this one displaced girls who deserved a fair shot at competition.

We have written repeatedly about how women’s athletics is at risk of being erased in America.

Letting men compete in women’s sports reverses 50 years of advancements for women. It hampers girls’ abilities to compete for athletic scholarships, and it hurts their professional opportunities as adults. In some sports, it can even be dangerous.

Concerned Women for America estimates that more than 1,900 male athletes who claim to be female have taken first place medals away from women and girls.

Arkansas has already taken great steps to protect fairness in women’s sports. In 2021, Arkansas passed Act 461 by Sen. Missy Irvin (R — Mountain View) and Rep. Sonia Barker (R — Smackover) preventing male student athletes from competing against girls in women’s athletics at school. This good law protects fairness in women’s sports in Arkansas.

Right now the U.S. Supreme Court is considering laws from West Virginia and Idaho that are similar to Act 461. If the Court rules against these protections, it could affect states like Arkansas.

That’s why Family Council joined dozens of state policy organizations and more than 200 state legislators in a legal brief in the case last September.

Girls deserve a fair playing field. That shouldn’t be controversial. It’s common sense.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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