The Supreme Court has affirmed the authority of states to enact laws that restrict transgender athletes from competing on sports teams aligning with their gender identity, upholding bans in Idaho and West Virginia. The ruling means student-athletes will generally be required to compete on teams corresponding to their biological sex at birth.
Brooke Slusser, a former volleyball player at San Jose State University, described the decision as the "biggest win" for female athletes to date. Slusser became a vocal advocate for protecting women's sports after her experience with a transgender teammate during the 2024 season. She spoke out about concerns regarding privacy and physical safety in locker rooms and shared living spaces.
"It’s the biggest win we’ve had yet, so I couldn’t be happier," Slusser said in an appearance on Fox News' "The Faulkner Focus." Slusser filed a lawsuit last year, alleging that her university failed to inform her and other teammates that Blaire Fleming was transgender. She stated that the lack of disclosure impacted the team's comfort and decision-making regarding shared intimate spaces.
"The fact that they allowed these student-athletes that were men pretending to be women be protected under those Title IX rules that were meant for women to be protected in is the biggest fault that happened," Slusser commented, referring to her institution's actions.
Slusser also highlighted the case of Payton McNabb, a former high school volleyball player who sustained serious injuries in 2022 after being struck by a spike from a transgender opponent. Slusser expressed that such incidents underscore the broader safety concerns related to transgender participation in women's sports.
The Supreme Court's decision in cases like West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox provides states with the constitutional backing to maintain separate sports categories for women and girls based on biological sex. Advocates for these laws argue that Title IX was intended to safeguard opportunities for female athletes, not to mandate competition against biological males.