Two Christian athletes sue their California high school, alleging violations of Title IX, free speech

Two Christian teens are suing their high school for allowing a biological male on their cross-country team.

The girls, referred to as K.S. and T.S. in the suit, both run cross-country at Martin Luther King High School in California’s Riverside Unified School District.

They allege school and district leaders are violating Title IX and the First and Fourteenth Amendments by permitting a transgender runner to displace female athletes on the varsity team and then punishing those who protest. 

“[Eleventh grader] T.S. was ousted from her position on the girls’ varsity cross-country team to make room for a biological male transgender athlete who did not consistently attend practices and failed to satisfy many of the team’s varsity eligibility qualifications,” explained the lawsuit, which was filed Wednesday. 

For example, the transgender student only attended 13 out of 74 practices between August and October 2024. When he did attend, it was only for the latter half of the two-hour practices. 

Nevertheless, he was placed on the varsity team, causing T.S. to “[miss] opportunities to compete at a high-profile meet, losing valuable chances for college recruitment and recognition.” 

Afterward, T.S. and K.S., who are both Christians, started wearing t-shirts which said, “Save Girls’ Sports” and “It’s Common Sense. XX ≠ XY.” 

However, school leadership said they couldn’t wear the shirts, saying it created a “hostile environment.” 

“School officials claimed the messages on Plaintiffs’ shirts created the same level of hostility as a student wearing a swastika in front of Jewish students,” the lawsuit said.  

The teammates are suing, saying the district has violated their rights to free speech, due process and Title IX protections against sex-based discrimination. 

“We will not allow boys to take over girls’ sports or let woke policies silence young women fighting for fair competition,” said attorneys from Advocates for Faith & Freedom, who represent the plaintiffs. “This case is about protecting equal opportunities and the freedom to speak out – values that should be upheld, no suppressed, in our schools.” 

“I’m calling on President Trump and the incoming Congress to restore women’s sports and to stop the mockery of women by this radical and ignorant ideology.” 

When asked for comment, a spokesperson from the Riverside school district deflected responsibility to state and federal lawmakers, citing California’s law allowing transgender athletes to compete according to gender identity. 

“While these rules were not created by RUSD, the District is committed to complying with the law,” the spokesperson said. “The protections we provide to all students are not only aligned with the law but also with our core values which include equity and well-being.” 

The California education code states, “A pupil shall be permitted to participate in sex-segregated school programs and activities, including athletic teams and competitions, and use facilities consistent with his or her gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the pupil’s records.”  

When Republicans try to pass laws protecting girls’ bathrooms or sports, liberals say such laws are unnecessary since transgender students are few in number. 

However, statistics show if 2% of biological males attending high school are transgender, that amounts to 6.5 trans “girls” on average per high school.