Transgender teen athlete faces Supreme Court challenge over sports ban

Fifteen-year-old Becky Pepper-Jackson, a West Virginia high school athlete, is part of cases the Supreme Court is hearing about state bans on transgender girls in school sports. The court is weighing whether those bans violate the Constitution or Title IX, with decisions expected by early summer.

Becky Pepper-Jackson is a 15-year-old sophomore from West Virginia who competed in discus and shot put as a high school athlete. West Virginia has a law that bans transgender girls from girls' sports, and that law has been blocked by lower courts. The cases reached the Supreme Court, which is considering whether such bans violate the Constitution or Title IX. The court heard arguments and is expected to issue decisions by early summer. Key facts: - Becky Pepper-Jackson began publicly identifying as a girl in elementary school and has competed in discus and shot put for her high school. - West Virginia's law prohibits transgender girls from competing in girls' and women's sports; lower courts have blocked the law but the issue is now before the Supreme Court. - The legal question is whether the bans violate the Constitution's equal protection clause or the federal Title IX law, and the court is expected to decide by early summer. Summary: The Supreme Court is reviewing cases that could determine whether state bans on transgender girls in school sports are lawful under the Constitution and Title IX. West Virginia's attorney general has argued the bans are needed because of physical differences between sexes, while others describe the measures in different terms. A decision from the court is expected by early summer, and the immediate next procedural step is the court's ruling on the cases.