Tirrell and Turmelle v. Edelblut
Status: Pending
The families of two New Hampshire public high school students are challenging a new state law, HB 1205, which categorically bans all transgender girls in grades 5-12 from participating in school sports.
Parker Tirrell is entering tenth grade this year. Parker played on her high school girls’ soccer team in ninth grade and is excited to rejoin her teammates when competition starts again on August 30.
Iris Turmelle is entering her first year of high school and is looking forward to trying out for and playing with the tennis and track and field teams.
Under HB 1205, Parker and Iris’s schools are forced to bar them from their teams. The law denies them the many educational, social, and physical and mental health benefits that come with playing sports, isolating them from friends and teammates.
Filed in U.S. District Court, the lawsuit alleges that HB 1205 denies Parker and Iris equal educational opportunities and singles them out for discrimination solely because they are transgender, in violation of federal law and constitutional guarantees of equal protection.
The families, represented by GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), the ACLU of New Hampshire, and Goodwin, asked the court to stop the state from enforcing the ban so Parker can play with her team and Iris can participate in tryouts for this year’s tennis and track and field teams. The district court judge temporarily blocked the ban for Parker, then extended the order to allow Parker and Iris to continue playing the sports they love while the case continues.
Media and Press
- Boston Globe: Judge shields two transgender plaintiffs from enforcement of N.H. law on girls’ sports (9/10/2024)
- NBC: New Hampshire transgender teens can play girls’ sports, federal judge rules (9/10/2024)
- NH Bulletin: Judge extends order allowing transgender New Hampshire student to play sports (8/27/2024)
- ABC News: Judge rules transgender teen can temporarily play on girls’ soccer team amid new law (8/21/2024)
- NH Bulletin: Federal judge blocks transgender sports ban law in temporary injunction (8/19/2024)
- Associated Press: Judge allows transgender New Hampshire girl to play soccer as lawsuit challenges new law (8/19/2024)
- Boston Globe: Federal judge orders N.H. to let transgender girl keep playing on girls’ soccer team, for now (8/19/2024)
- Boston Globe: Judge to decide whether transgender N.H. teen can play on her school’s soccer team (8/19/2024)
- Concord Monitor: ‘It hit us very hard’: Transgender girls sue the state after being told they can’t play on female sports teams (8/18/2024)
- Boston Globe: Tentative deal could allow transgender girls to keep playing on girls’ sports teams in N.H. (8/17/2024)
- Associated Press: Trans teens file lawsuit challenging New Hampshire law banning them from girls’ sports (8/16/2024)
- Boston Globe: Transgender girl’s family sues N.H. after school bars her from soccer practice under new state law (8/16/2024)
- NH Public Radio: ‘It’s like they took away a part of me’: A student athlete on NH laws targeting trans youth (7/25/2024)
Related Content
-
Federal Court Blocks Enforcement of Transgender Sports Ban Against New Hampshire Students
Read MoreFederal Court Blocks Enforcement of Transgender Sports Ban Against New Hampshire Students Ruling allows high school students Parker…
-
Students Challenge New Hampshire Law Excluding Transgender Girls from School Sports
Read MoreNew Hampshire is denying Parker and Iris equal education and singles them out for discrimination because they are transgender girls.