MONTGOMERY – The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that states may limit participation in girls’ school sports to biological females. The decision upheld laws in Idaho and West Virginia and supports similar legislation already in effect in Alabama.
The Court considered two cases, Little v. Hecox and West Virginia v. B.P.J. Both challenged state laws that require public school athletic teams for girls and women to be based on biological sex rather than gender identity.
The ruling allows Idaho and West Virginia to continue enforcing those laws. It also strengthens similar laws adopted by more than two dozen states, including Alabama.
Alabama Law Mirrors the Court’s Decision
The Alabama Legislature passed a similar law in 2023.
The law requires public schools, colleges, and universities to limit female athletic teams to biological females.
According to the Alabama Attorney General’s Office, Attorney General Steve Marshall co-led a 27-state amicus brief supporting Idaho and West Virginia before the Supreme Court heard the cases.
Marshall Calls Decision a Victory for Female Athletes
https://www.alabamaag.gov/about/
Marshall welcomed Tuesday’s decision and said it protects fairness in girls’ sports.
“Common sense won again. Alabama stood strong for our female athletes, and the Supreme Court agreed,” Marshall said.
“This is about fairness. Our daughters worked too hard, sacrificed too much, and dreamed too big to be pushed aside. The science is clear, and Alabama will not apologize for protecting the opportunities our girls have earned. Alabama led the way, and today, that leadership paid off.”
Previous Title IX Challenge
Marshall’s office also highlighted its successful legal challenge to the Biden administration’s proposed Title IX regulations.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, those proposed rules would have expanded federal protections related to gender identity in schools. The regulations also addressed access to certain sex-segregated spaces, including locker rooms and bathrooms.
Tuesday’s Supreme Court decision focuses on participation in girls’ school athletics. The ruling is expected to influence similar laws already in effect across the country.
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