National
West Virginia asks Supreme Court to let it enforce state’s anti-trans sports ban
(CNN) — West Virginia on Thursday asked the US Supreme Court to allow it to enforce a state law that prohibits transgender women and girls from participating in public school sports.
The emergency request filed to the court by state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey gives the justices a chance to weigh in on a hot-button issue that has taken center stage in recent years as Republican-led states have moved to impose restrictions on the lives of trans youth, with a particular focus on school sports.
GOP Gov. Jim Justice signed the law in 2021. A transgender student athlete in the state quickly sued, and a district court temporarily blocked the law three months after it was enacted. But earlier this year the district court ruled in favor of the state. The athlete then appealed to the 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals, which put the law on hold again. Now, the state is asking the nation’s highest court to step in.
“This Court should vacate the Fourth Circuit’s injunction and allow the Act to continue protecting West Virginia student athletes this spring and beyond,” Morrisey and attorneys for the Alliance Defending Freedom, which is representing a former college athlete who intervened in the case on behalf of the state, wrote in their emergency request.
“This case implicates a question fraught with emotions and differing perspectives. That is all the more reason to defer to state lawmakers pending appeal,” the attorneys told the court. “The decision was the West Virginia Legislature’s to make. The end of this litigation will confirm that it made a valid one.”
The court has asked attorneys representing the law’s challenger, Becky Pepper-Jackson, to file a response to the emergency request by March 20.
Those lawyers said in a statement on Thursday that they will “vigorously defend Becky’s right to participate in team sports, and would urge state legislators countrywide to just let the kids play.”
“West Virginia refuses to address the facts of Becky’s case and instead talks about elite athletic competitions that have nothing to do with the facts here. (Morrisey) and his allies have cherry-picked unique incidents and ignored the overwhelming evidence that allowing transgender youth to participate in team sports has benefits for all,” Lambda Legal, an LGBTQ legal group, the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU West Virginia wrote in a joint statement.
A number of GOP-controlled states have enacted similar sports bans in recent years, with at least eight putting one on their books in 2022 alone. In pushing such measures, conservatives have argued that transgender women and girls have physical advantages over cisgender women and girls in sports, though a 2017 report found “no direct or consistent research” on any such advantage.
The Supreme Court has previously declined to weigh in on other high-profile cases concerning the rights of trans students. In 2021, the court stayed out of a dispute over whether a trans student could use the bathroom that corresponded to his gender identity, handing a victory to the LGBTQ community.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
By: Pristine Villarreal
March 13, 2023
Latest Instagram Posts
Social Time with Thalia & Jerry
What’s next for Palm Desert? Join community leaders, local businesses and regional stakeholders for the 2026 State of the City Address. Topics: • Economic Development • Infrastructure • Public Safety • Community Programs • Palm Desert’s Future CTA: Friday, September 18 | 11:30 AM JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort
Former Silvercrest CEO, William Rodriguez is expected back in court today in connection with the deadly 2024 Cathedral City hit and run that killed a woman. The murder charge was dismissed, but Rodriguez still faces felony hit and run and suspended license charges.
Social Time with Thalia & Jerry
Murder suspect Vicky Kim has once again not been cleared to appear in court. Kim is accused of killing her husband at their Palm Desert condominium complex. Her arraignment has now been delayed three times. Stay tuned with NBC Palm Springs as we track the latest developments in this case. #VickyKim #PalmDesert #CoachellaValley #BreakingNews #CourtUpdate NBCPalmSprings
Palm Springs is mourning the loss of beloved entertainer James “Gypsy” Haake, who has died at 94. Haake began his entertainment career at just 19 years old as a Broadway chorus dancer. After retiring from the stage, he returned to performing at 82, becoming the host of Carnival Cabaret at Oscars in downtown Palm Springs. A longtime friend of our station, Haake was a familiar and beloved figure in the Palm Springs entertainment community — and his contributions were recognized with a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars. His career spanned more than seven decades, proving that the spotlight never truly left him. ❤️ Rest in peace, James “Gypsy” Haake. Your legacy will live on in Palm Springs. #JamesGypsyHaake #PalmSprings #PalmSpringsWalkOfStars #CarnivalCabaret #PalmSpringsEntertainment #OscarsPalmSprings #PalmSpringsHistory
Social Time with Thalia & Jerry
Who makes the NBC Top 3, winner will be announced Sunday night on NBC Palm Springs, with the player who makes the number one spot winning a $250 prize from @hondaofthedesert! Comment below if it will be 1) Sterling Conley with the rushing TD, 2) Marcus Kennedy with the touchdown catch, 3) Cade Pinon with the big time sack, 4) Kingston Pellum with the pick-6, or 5) Caleb Hartwell with the saving throw #fypage #fridaynightlights #football #hondaofthedesert #highschoolfootball
James Nellis from @dsrt_club_lq and @rd_rnnr_lq makes us one of his signature dishes, his Maine scallops with hibiscus puree. His creativity and skill lead to unique bold flavors and scrumptious dishes. We chat about his love of trying new things in the kitchen, what being a chef means to him, and how food can different, flavorful, and fun. This is James Nellis on a plate. See it now on nbcpalmsprings.com
At the annual 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb at Morongo Casino Resort & Spa, first responders, families and community members came together to honor the lives lost—and the heroes who answered the call 25 years ago on September 11, 2001. Two first responders who responded to opposite sides of the World Trade Center met for the first time at the event, sharing a powerful moment of remembrance and connection. 26 flights. Three times. One enduring message: Never Forget. #NeverForget #September11 #911Memorial #MemorialStairClimb #FirstResponders HonorAndRemember 911