In a recent legal development, the Trump administration has requested exclusion from a lawsuit initiated by two teenagers from New Hampshire. The teens, Parker Tirrell and Iris Turmelle, are contesting their state’s prohibition on transgender athletes competing in girls’ sports, along with an executive order from former President Donald Trump on the same issue.
The legal action by the teens marked the first challenge to Trump’s “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” directive, adding him to their legal battle against New Hampshire’s ban back in February. A federal judge has since permitted Tirrell and Turmelle to participate in girls’ sports teams as the case advances.
In a motion filed recently, government attorneys argued that the case is pulling the federal government into an ongoing lawsuit not due to urgent harm but because of a general discontent with the policies established by the former President. Deputy Associate Attorney General Richard Lawson emphasized that the federal government has yet to enforce the executive orders in New Hampshire and might never act on them.
Lawson asserted that the plaintiffs lack constitutional standing, describing their concerns about potential future injuries as speculative. He sought to remove claims against Trump, the Justice and Education Departments, and their leaders, from the lawsuit.
Trump’s directive provides extensive leeway to federal agencies to ensure organizations receiving federal funds comply with Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in education. This compliance is in accordance with the Trump administration’s stance, considering gender as assigned at birth.
The teens’ attorneys counter that the executive order, paired with a segment of another executive order from January 20 that restricts federal funding for promoting gender ideologies, discriminates against transgender girls, violating federal protections and Title IX rights.
The defense maintained in its argument that the order does not discriminate based on sex since males and females are not similarly positioned in athletic contexts. This legal battle is situated within a broader national debate where approximately half of the states have enacted laws similar to New Hampshire’s ban. Advocates of such measures argue that allowing transgender girls in girls’ sports compromises safety and fairness.
Despite the legal dispute, both New Hampshire teens, in previous interviews, shared that they didn’t feel advantaged over their teammates. Tirrell commented on being less muscular compared to other girls on her soccer team, while Turmelle did not consider herself a standout athlete. Reflecting on a previous softball tryout, Turmelle expressed confusion over claims of unfairness, having not made the team.