Introduction
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear it’s third case ever from West Virginia. The case is West Virginia v. B.P.J., which challenges West Virginia’s Save Women’s Sports Act. This law bans transgender girls from participating on girls’ sports teams in competitive or contact sports.
Background
The West Virginia’s Save Women’s Sports Act, originally passed in 2021, defines males and females by their reproductive biology at birth. It restricts female identifying athletes from participating in female-designated sports, if they were not assigned female at birth.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit previously ruled in favor of West Virginia teen, B.P.J. The court stated that banning transgender girls from women’s sports violated Title IX. Title IX prohibits sex-based discrimination in education programs that are federally funded.
Coming Up
The case will now be heard during the U.S Supreme Court’s 2025-2026 session alongside Idaho’s Little v. Hecox, leaving the Supreme Court to decide on whether restricting transgender girls in sports violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th amendment or Title IX.
As the Supreme Court prepares to hear West Virginia v. B.P.J., the nation watches closely. The outcome could shape how transgender athletes are treated under federal law, shaping the future of school sports and civil rights protections across the country. Whether the Court upholds or overturns the law, its decision will have lasting implications for students and policymakers nationwide.