Controversy erupted in West Virginia after Harrison County school officials decided to ban five female students from future sporting events for protesting that they were being required to compete with trans children.
The case received so much media attention that West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey filed a lawsuit to protect the rights of the five students. Now the state attorney general's office will take to trial the school district officials that punished the girls for protesting.
I will do everything in my power to defend these brave young girls. This is just wrong. We must stand for what’s right and oppose these radical trans policies. Thanks to @Riley_Gaines_ for her leadership on this critical issue. https://t.co/sw8mNSoT5n
— Patrick Morrisey (@MorriseyWV) April 29, 2024
Attorney General Morrisey posted on social media, "I will do everything in my power to defend these brave young women. This is just wrong. We must stand up for what is right and oppose these radical trans policies."
The conservative prosecutor echoed athlete and activist Riley Gaines, who also condemned the events this Monday on social media.
🚨🚨FIVE middle school female athletes in West Virginia refuse to throw shot put against male, Becky Pepper-Jackson.
This comes just 2 days after the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals blocked the WV law that says you must compete in the category that matches your sex.
It's a… pic.twitter.com/RzMgh4jVRU
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) April 19, 2024
Gaines reported that during a school athletics competition that took place on April 18 in Harrison County, five girls forfeited the competition in protest. The girls were protesting against another trans athlete who was competing in their same category. Although West Virginia law prohibits transgender children from playing on girls' sports teams, a federal appeals court ruled that the law cannot apply to students so young.
Those responsible for the school competition punished the five young athletes and banned them from participating in future sports competitions. Riley Gaines reported that the coach who decided to sanction the five young athletes is a fervent trans activist. Her report has not been officially verified.
Former swimmer and activist Riley Gaines supported her accusation with a photo showing said coach posing next to an individual wearing a t-shirt that reads "Protect Trans Kids" along with a military-style knife.
Andddd there it is. The coach that banned them is posing in a photo with this guy on her Facebook.
She's no coach, she's an activist.
And she deserves to be fired immediately for retaliating against the girls for demanding fair competition. @HarcoboeWV https://t.co/ePpKgNncta pic.twitter.com/hHUSMNevMn
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) April 30, 2024
