Two transgender girls sue to challenge Trump’s executive order banning them from girls’ school sports

Parker Tirrell, third from left, and Iris Turmelle, sixth from left, have filed suit challenging President Donald Trump's executive order banning trans girls from girls' sports. (Holly Ramer/AP)

Two transgender girls who attend high school in New Hampshire challenged the Trump administration’s recent executive order banning transgender girls and women from participating in girls’ sports, according to a court filing.

The teens, Parker Tirrell, 16, and Iris Turmelle, 15, previously sued New Hampshire education officials over a state law prohibiting them from competing on girls’ sports teams at their public high schools. On Wednesday, their attorneys GLAD Law and the ACLU of New Hampshire filed an amended complaint asking the court to expand the case nationally to challenge Trump’s executive order.

Chris Erchull, senior staff attorney at GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders, one of the plaintiffs’ representatives, said the executive order and others “amount to a coordinated campaign to prevent transgender people from functioning in society.”

“School sports are an important part of education — something no child should be denied simply because of who they are,” Erchull said in a news release. “Our clients Parker and Iris simply want to go to school, learn, and play on teams with their peers.”

Last week, Trump signed an executive order titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” and declared, “The war on women’s sports is over.” The order threatens to rescind federal funding from educational programs that allow transgender girls to participate in girls’ sports, in part by using Title IX, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit.

Other executive orders in the first few weeks of the Trump administration have targeted transgender women in the military and in the federal prison system. Those have similarly faced legal challenges; a federal judge last week blocked the administration from enforcing the order seeking to have transgender women detained in men’s prison facilities.

The participation of transgender girls and women in sports has raised questions about the balance between inclusion and fairness on the playing field. Twenty-five states across the country have passed laws banning transgender youth from participating in sports consistent with their gender identity, according to the Movement Advancement Project, a nonprofit think tank.

According to the lawsuit, Parker plays on her high school’s soccer team, and Iris wants to try out for her school’s tennis team. A news release from the two includes quotes explaining in simple language why they want to play sports.

“I love playing soccer and we had a great season last fall,” said Parker. “I just want to go to school like other kids and keep playing the game I love.”

“The chance to try out for tennis means new teammates, new friends, and a sense of fun and belonging,” Iris said. “I just want the same opportunities as other girls at my school.”

Their suit against the New Hampshire law remains ongoing. In September, a US District Court ordered the state to allow both teens to play sports with the girls’ team while the litigation plays out.