In August, the Kearsarge Regional School Board faced a complex issue regarding compliance with a new law, House Bill 1205, which prohibits transgender girls from participating in middle and high school sports. Signed by Governor Chris Sununu, the law mandates that only biologically female students can join female sports teams. This posed a challenge for Kearsarge, which had a transgender girl who would be barred from playing girls’ soccer if the law were followed. Despite the state law, the board decided in a closed session to allow the student to play on the team, prioritizing federal Title IX protections against discrimination based on sex, which have been recently updated to include sexual orientation and gender identity. This decision contrasts with other school districts that have chosen to comply with the law, leading to lawsuits against them.
Amid Fraught Landscape, School Districts React Differently to Transgender Sports Ban Law
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