Two transgender girls withdrew their federal lawsuit challenging New Hampshire's ban on biological males in girls' sports Thursday, following a U.S. Supreme Court decision last month that upheld similar state laws and clarified that such restrictions don't violate Title IX protections.
Parker Tirrell and Iris Turmelle had amended their 2024 complaint against New Hampshire's law to include President Donald Trump's executive order, "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports." A federal judge granted them a temporary court order allowing them to play while litigation proceeded. The case was paused pending the Supreme Court's review of comparable laws in Idaho and West Virginia.
The Supreme Court's Decision
Last month, the nation's highest court ruled that barring transgender girls and women from school and college athletic teams doesn't run afoul of Title IX, the federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in education. The decision effectively settled the legal question both sides had agreed to wait for.
Chris Erchull of GLAD Law, representing the plaintiffs, said in a statement, "This case was always about two courageous young girls who simply wanted the same opportunities as their peers to participate in school life. Their willingness to stand up to extraordinary hostility made clear the human cost of laws that target transgender youth."
State Policy Landscape
New Hampshire has enacted multiple measures addressing transgender issues. Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte signed legislation last year prohibiting medical professionals from providing puberty blockers and hormone replacement therapy to new transgender patients under age 18. The law includes a carve-out for individuals already receiving such care.
Turmelle and her family moved out of New Hampshire last summer as the state considered additional legislation. Her mother, Amy Manzetti, wrote in an op-ed at the time, "Though there may be a carve-out for people already receiving gender-affirming care, that is way too close a call for us to risk staying. Other New Hampshire laws also seek to erase her."
Corinne Goodwin, executive director of Eastern PA Trans Equality Project in Pennsylvania, said in an email, "The challenges with relocation are significant and burdensome — this includes having to find new employment, buying and selling homes, packing and moving possessions, integrating kids with a new school system, losing access to longstanding family and friends, and potential loss of income. But these families do so because they love their kids and know that supporting them with the care and opportunities they need is critical to their long-term success and happiness."
The Impact on Student Athletes
Tirrell, 17, began her junior year last fall on the girls' junior varsity soccer team. Things started well. Each time she scored a goal, she got a round of ice cream from her parents. But a few weeks into the season, she stopped playing.
Her mother, Sara Tirrell, said, "With all of the political stuff going on, soccer wasn't just about the game anymore." She said it became more about preparing for potential conflict.
The atmosphere at games changed noticeably. There was an increased presence of school administrators at games and bus drivers pulled in closer to the field so students weren't in the parking lot, Sara Tirrell said. Even at home games, "there would typically be a couple of police officers at the home games where there weren't previously," Parker's father, Zach Tirrell, said. He described the atmosphere as "palpable tension."
Sara Tirrell said, "Parker didn't talk about it a lot, but I think she could see that stress for everybody — for her, for her teammates, for her coaches. She felt kind of bad about pulling them all into that circus again. And so she ultimately said, 'This isn't fun anymore and I don't want to do it.'"
The previous season had seen controversy at an away game where two dads from an opposing team were banned from school grounds for wearing pink wristbands marked "XX" to represent female chromosomes. They sued the school district and a judge ruled against them. They've appealed their case.
Parker also played soccer in a recreation league and could still do so. Her mother said, "But I think it all kind of still sort of weighs on her. It's the same group of kids that she plays with who, honestly, have been very supportive and love to have her on the team and have expressed that to her many times over. But I think she still has that worry in her brain around, 'What are other people going to say and do if I show up at a game?'"
Parker's parents hope she'll return to playing soccer some day. In the meantime, her mother said, "she plans to be around and use her voice to continue standing up to discrimination. In some ways she's had to grow up a lot faster than some of her peers."
The Williams Institute at UCLA estimates that about 3% of youth ages 13 to 17 identify as transgender.
Why This Matters:
The Supreme Court's ruling provides legal clarity that states have authority to regulate participation in girls' sports based on biological sex, settling a question that's divided communities and school districts nationwide. The decision affirms that Title IX protections don't require schools to allow biological males in female athletic competitions. For state legislatures, it removes legal uncertainty around laws designed to preserve fair competition and safety in women's sports. The withdrawal of this lawsuit suggests similar challenges may face difficult odds moving forward. For schools and athletic programs, the ruling establishes clear boundaries for policy-making without fear of federal civil rights violations. The case illustrates the tension between competing policy goals and the practical challenges schools face implementing state law while managing community divisions.