A lawsuit has been filed against a New Hampshire school district by three parents and a grandparent who were barred from school grounds for wearing pink wristbands with “XX” in protest of a transgender girl playing in a girls soccer game. The incident occurred during a match at Bow High School against Plymouth Regional High School, where a 15-year-old transgender girl is playing on the team.
The parents wore the wristbands to silently express their opinion about the importance of reserving women’s sports for biological females. School officials and a police officer confronted them during the game, asking them to remove the wristbands or leave. The plaintiffs cited their First Amendment rights, but faced threats of arrest for trespassing.
The referee even stopped the game and said Bow High School would forfeit if the wristbands were not removed. Following the game, the parents received no-trespass orders which banned them from school grounds and events. The lawsuit seeks to prevent what it describes as the unconstitutional application of several school policies.
The school district, superintendent, school principal, athletic director, police officer, and referee are named as defendants in the lawsuit. The transgender athlete’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The school board chairperson mentioned the lawsuit at a meeting but did not comment, while audience members expressed mixed opinions during a public comment period.
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