A federal court has temporarily blocked the enforcement of New Hampshire’s HB 1205, a law that prohibits transgender girls from participating in school sports, allowing two high school students, Parker Tirrell and Iris Turmelle, to continue playing sports while their case challenging the law proceeds.
The ruling, issued Sept. 10, determined that HB 1205 discriminates against transgender students in violation of Title IX and the U.S. Constitution. In his decision, the judge stated that the law “on its face, discriminates against transgender girls,” adding that the stigma and humiliation imposed on transgender students by such a law are “substantial and irreparable.”
Parker Tirrell, a sophomore, had previously been granted permission through an emergency court order to join her high school soccer team. This broader ruling extends the same rights to freshman Iris Turmelle, allowing her to try out for tennis and track teams at her new school.
“I just want to play the game I love with my friends,” said Tirrell, who expressed relief at the court’s decision.
The families, represented by GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders, the ACLU of New Hampshire, and the law firm Goodwin, filed the lawsuit in August, challenging HB 1205. The lawsuit argues the law denies transgender students equal educational opportunities and violates their constitutional rights.
This ruling follows similar decisions in other federal courts, which have also blocked bans on transgender students in school sports, finding them to be discriminatory.
The case, Tirrell and Turmelle v. Edelblut, will continue to move forward as the court’s injunction remains in place.
