Federal court will allow males on women’s teams as West Virginia transgender law sorted out

Young male athletes who identify as women will be permitted to play on women’s school sports teams in West Virginia while a lawsuit regarding sports rules is resolved, a court ruled this week.

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in its ruling reinstated an earlier injunction against a ban on those athletic arrangements. The injunction had last month been dissolved by a federal judge. 

The American Civil Liberties Union is seeking the dismissal of the law, claiming that male students should be permitted to play on girl’s teams so long as they identify as females themselves. 

The law was passed in 2021 and signed by Republican Gov. Jim Justice.