New Hampshire judge clears teen boy to play on girls soccer team

A federal judge issued an order on Monday to bypass state law and allow Parker Tirrell, a male who identifies as female, to play on a girl’s soccer team. The ruling came as part of a lawsuit by Tirrell’s family aiming to overturn the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act enacted last month by Republican Gov. Chris Sununu. The act requires students in grades 5-12 to play on sports teams that match their sex at birth. The act denies certain students equal opportunities in education and discriminates against children who identify as transgender, according to Tirrell’s lawsuit. The family of another male student who identifies as female, Iris Turmelle, joined in the lawsuit with the Tirrells.

What was the judge’s reasoning for granting the request? U.S. District Chief Judge Landya McCafferty granted the plaintiff’s emergency order request on the belief that Tirrell’s case had the merits to succeed in court. All leaders from the New Hampshire Department of Education commissioner down to the regional school board must allow Tirrell to try out for, practice, and compete on the girl’s sports teams as an equal to other girls, according to the order.

The Fairness in Women’s Sports Act ensures safety and integrity in sports, according to a press release distributed by Sununu’s office when he signed the bill in July. The law is a commonsense solution and allows New Hampshire to join nearly half of all U.S. states that have similar measures, the release added.

Dig deeper: Read Mary Jackson’s report on former Olympian Bruce Jenner, now known as Caitlyn Jenner, speaking out for the integrity of women’s sports.