Adaleia Cross, a student from West Virginia at the center of a Supreme Court case concerning transgender athletes in women's sports, has spoken out following the court's ruling. The Supreme Court decided on June 30 that schools can determine eligibility for women's and girls' sports based on biological sex, reversing previous rulings that had opposed bans on transgender athletes in such categories in West Virginia and Idaho.

Cross described the ruling as a "sense of peace" after years of advocacy. She has alleged that a transgender athlete made sexually harassing comments to her in the girls' locker room when they were both students at Bridgeport Middle School during the 2022-2023 school year. Cross was in eighth grade, and the athlete was in seventh grade at the time.

"I definitely have a sense of peace about all of it," Cross told Fox News Digital. "Although I had to go through all of that, and it doesn’t make up for what I had to go through, I know that other girls can be protected, like my sister and my friends who are still on the team."

Cross's mother, Abby Cross, previously alleged that the athlete made explicit comments to Adaleia and other girls in the locker room. Adaleia Cross stated that the atmosphere in the girls' locker room changed after the athlete joined the team, with many girls becoming uncomfortable and choosing to change in bathroom stalls. She also noted that some other teams began canceling track meets to avoid proximity to the athlete.

The ACLU, representing the athlete, denied the allegations, stating that the school district investigated and found them unsubstantiated. However, the Cross family's attorneys, Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), countered that Cross had sworn under oath about the events and was forced to step away from her sport to protect herself.

According to the Cross family, their report of the alleged harassment to the school did not result in any action against the athlete. Adaleia Cross stated that the school told her they would conduct a full investigation but later provided no follow-up. Her father, Holden Cross, reported receiving no response from the school after filing the report. Repeated requests for documentation and clarification from the ACLU and the Harrison County School District by Fox News Digital have not been met.

Despite the legal victory, Cross described the personal cost of her involvement, including losing friends and experiencing ostracism from some classmates and even a teacher. She recalled wearing a "Save women’s sports" shirt and being told by her homeroom teacher that she was seen as "less of a person."

Cross also expressed frustration over the transgender athlete winning the girls' state championship in shot put shortly before the Supreme Court ruling, which she felt unfairly displaced other girls who had trained for years. She stated that she would not be returning to competition herself due to the time elapsed since her last participation.

Cross began speaking publicly about her experiences at age 14, initially feeling fearful but later finding conviction through a Bible verse, Esther 4:14: "Perhaps you were created for such a time as this."

She believes the national debate often overlooks the impact on biological women and girls. "This is their spaces, and it is being taken from them," Cross said. She expressed frustration with her school district, which she feels failed to protect her and attempted to silence her and her parents. Cross hopes the ruling will encourage people to look beyond media narratives and consider the experiences of affected girls.

Supporters and protesters gathered outside the Supreme Court on June 30, 2026, for the final decisions of the session. ![Protesters gathered outside the Supreme Court holding signs reading