Idaho Student Seeks to Withdraw Supreme Court Challenge to Transgender Sports Ban
State opposes dismissal as justices weigh transgender athlete case alongside West Virginia dispute.
WASHINGTON — An Idaho college student who identifies as female asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Sept. 2 to withdraw a challenge to the state’s Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, which bars male athletes from competing on female teams. Idaho filed a brief the following day opposing the request, according to reporting from the Epoch Times.
The case, Little v. Hecox, was accepted by the court in July but has not yet been scheduled for oral argument. On the same day, justices also agreed to hear a similar case from West Virginia, which remains active and is expected to be argued in the Court’s new term beginning in October.
Respondent Lindsay Hecox, a Boise State University student, said ongoing litigation has become too distracting and pledged not to participate in women’s sports in Idaho. Attorneys for Hecox argued the case should be dismissed, citing personal well-being and academic priorities.
Idaho’s petition defended the law as necessary to preserve fairness in women’s athletics, while lower courts previously blocked enforcement, finding it discriminatory against transgender-identifying athletes. The Supreme Court has not yet ruled on Hecox’s request or Idaho’s opposition.
Previously, UOJ reported that New Hampshire became the first state in New England and the 20th state overall to completely ban all surgical and chemical procedures aimed at changing the gender of minors
