Remember those brave West Virginia girls who refused to compete against a boy in a track and field meet?
They couldn’t compete in the next competition.
Four of the five students filed a lawsuit:
The parents of four out of the five Lincoln Middle School students have filed a lawsuit, according to a press release from Attorney General Patrick Morrisey’s office. The suit argues that the students’ protest “lasted approximately 10 seconds each and did not disrupt the track meet in any way” and “did not affect any other competitors.”“The only thing this decision does is teach these children to keep their mouths shut and not disagree with what they saw as unfairness,” Morrisey said in the release. “That is outrageous and it tramples these students’ rights to freedom of speech and expression.”
The lawsuit alleges the defendant, Harrison County Board of Education, violated the girls’ First Amendment rights.
The minor student athletes’ protests were silent. They each stepped into the shot put circle, raised the shot put to their chins, and then stepped out of the shot put circle and handed the shot put to the official.The minor student athletes’ individual protests lasted approximately 10 seconds each and did not disrupt the track meet in any way.The minor student athletes’ protest did not affect any other competitors.Following their protest, the minor student athletes did not receive any notice that further action would be taken against them for protesting and forfeiting.During practice the following week, however, the five student athletes who participated in the protest were instructed to run “Indian sprints” by coach Dawn Riestenberg.
The girls attended a press conference on April 24 with Riley Gaines, Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, and others. (Video at the end of the post.)
The following day, on April 25, 2024, at approximately 4:30 p.m., Plaintiff Mitchell Scott Guthrie spoke with Lincoln Middle School principal Lori Scott, who informed Mr. Guthrie that the student athletes who engaged in the protest, including his daughter, would not be permitted to compete in a scheduled track and field meet on April 27, 2024.
Plaintiff Clifford Powell spoke with the track coach, who told him the students couldn’t compete “because it was her job ‘to score points for the track team,’ directly correlating the minor student athletes’ protest and subsequent appearance at a press conference to the decision to ban them from competition.”
Morrisey filed an amicus brief in support of the lawsuit.
The Fourth Circuit struck down the West Virginia Save Women’s Sports Act, which banned males from competing in female sports.
The decision allowed Becky Pepper-Jackson, a 13-year-old male student, to compete in the track and field meet with the females on April 18.
Five females refused to compete against him in the shot put.
Jackson won the shot put by three feet.
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