Tag: sports

California: 10 Teams Have Forfeited to Volleyball Team with Transgender Player

A total of 10 teams have now forfeited to the Jurupa Valley High School girls’ volleyball team in California due to the inclusion of a transgender athlete on its roster.

“Los Osos High School forfeited a tournament game against Jurupa Valley on Saturday, while Patriot High School forfeited its Monday varsity match, marking its second forfeit to JVHS this season. Patriot High School previously forfeited a Sept. 26 match to Jurupa Valley,” Fox News reported on Wednesday.

A California school board president familiar with the matter confirmed that only the Patriot High School varsity team forfeited to JVHS, while the JV and freshman teams did play.

No school has given an official reason for the forfeits. As many as two Jurupa Valley senior players, Alyssa McPherson and Hadeel Hazameh, quit the team this season in protest of sharing a court with a transgender athlete, which Jurupa Valley High School has continued to support.

“McPherson and Hazameh have also filed a lawsuit against the Jurupa Unified School District, citing their experience playing and sharing a locker room with Hernandez the previous three seasons. McPherson’s older sister and former JVHS girls’ volleyball player, Madison McPherson, is the third plaintiff in that lawsuit,” noted Fox News.

“Jurupa Valley is poised to play in the postseason, where forfeits may continue. Last season, a Christian high school girls’ volleyball team in northern California, Stone Ridge Christian, forfeited a playoff game to San Francisco Waldorf, which had a trans athlete on its team,” it added.

Jurupa Valley previously addressed the forfeits, saying that the school must comply with the law.

“We understand and acknowledge the disappointment of our Jurupa Valley High School athletes who are ready and prepared to play. Decisions to cancel matches were made by teams in other districts,” the statement read. “As a public school district in California, JUSD is compelled to follow the law, which protects students from discrimination based on gender identity and requires that students be permitted to participate on athletic teams that are consistent with their gender identity (California Education Code 221.5 (f)).”

“This is consistent with the guidance provided by California Attorney General Rob Bonta and California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond,” it continued. “We are proud of our JVHS Jaguars and their willingness to play any team and represent their school and our district with pride. We are currently working to find additional matches to give them that opportunity.”

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ACLU loses last-ditch effort to stop SCOTUS from evaluating state bans on males in girls’ sports

When the Supreme Court agreed to consider whether Idaho and West Virginia can ban males from girls’ sports, two weeks after upholding Tennessee’s ban on medicalized gender transitions for minors, the transgender track athlete who defeated Idaho at trial and appeals courts got cold feet and tried to stop SCOTUS from hearing Idaho’s part of the case.

Lindsay Hecox, who is male, decided to “cease playing women’s sports in any context covered by H.B. 500” and dismissed the suit with prejudice so it cannot be filed again, claiming that continuing the litigation through SCOTUS will threaten Hecox’s “mental health, my safety, and my ability to graduate as soon as possible.”

U.S. District Judge David Nye, whose injunction against Idaho’s law as applied to Hecox was upheld by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, doesn’t think the ACLU-represented athlete is playing it straight.

The President Trump nominee, who saved Hecox’s challenge three years ago when the 9th Circuit questioned whether the lapsed athlete would resume competing and thus maintain legal standing to sue Idaho, interpreted Hecox’s late-breaking about-face as “somewhat manipulative to avoid Supreme Court review” and ruled it “should not be endorsed.”

Nye granted Idaho’s motion to strike Hecox’s notice of voluntary dismissal, in the latest setback for the ACLU’s quest to preempt state laws that favor sex over gender identity, through federal regulation and the federal courts, while keeping SCOTUS from hearing close cases.

Federal courts including President Biden’s nominees blocked his administration’s Title IX regulation conflating sex and gender identity as his lone term closed, leaving the first Trump administration’s sex-based Title IX regulation in place. Second-term President Trump’s executive orders against gender ideology left SCOTUS the ACLU’s last hope.

That hope was dashed in June when a 6-3 court rejected the ACLU’s argument, on behalf of transgender children’s families, that gender identity is a protected trait like sex and race in the context of Tennessee’s ban on puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgery as treatment options for gender-confused youth.

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WA Teen Faces Civil Rights Complaint For Refusing To Play Basketball Against Male Athlete

A high school basketball player in Washington state has been accused of bullying, harassment after she allegedly “misgendered” a male opponent who pretends to be a female.

The controversy began when an 18 year old biological male was allowed to play on a junior varsity team in the Tumwater School District, alongside 14 and 15-year-old female athletes.

15-year-old Frances Staudt noticed the obviously male athlete on the opposing team during her warm up for the final game of the season and asked the school’s athletic director whether the player was a male, but  was told that, in accordance with Washington state law, the school will not discriminate based on sexual identity.

Staudt then notified her coach that she was unwilling to play against a biological male opponent.

According to Staudt’s mother Aimee, Frances was so frustrated that, following the game, her daughter walked by the male player and told him, “You’re a man” prompting the school district to investigate Frances for ‘misgendering’ her opponent.

Aimee Staudt told Fox News that the school district could have avoided the situation, saying, “They knew, admittedly, that there was going to be this situation, and they had a meeting, the principal, the superintendent, and the athletic director to discuss the fact that this was a potential situation that was coming up.”

Aimee maintains that little controversy would have resulted if families had been notified of the situation beforehand, and players had been given the option to sit out the game.

Staudt said, “But they didn’t do that. They put the kids on the spot, and my daughter was the one that actually stood up in this situation, and… she was exposed… It was awful the way they handled it.”

The New York Post reports that the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) policy states that each athlete will participate in programs “consistent with their gender identity or the gender most consistently expressed,” and there are not even any medical or legal requirements.

Washington is one of a handful of Democrat-run states that have pushed back against President Trump’s executive order banning biological males from competing in women’s sports.

The school district released a statement last week stating, “As a district, we remain committed to fostering an inclusive environment where all students feel safe, supported, and valued.”

According to her mother, Frances received a letter late last week, stating that she had violated WIAA policy and that she could face further discipline if there are any further incidents.

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Spanberger Won’t Condemn School Board Member For Sympathetic Emails To Sex Offender Using Girls’ Bathroom

If you want to see Democrat Virginia gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger dance, ask her opinion about allowing men in women’s bathrooms, locker rooms, and sports teams. She has been tap-dancing around a straight answer for weeks. In a recent debate, when pressed, she said the decision is up to individuals and school districts.

A political gift in the news should have made it much easier for Spanberger to find clarity.  

An Arlington School Board allowed a sex offender to shower and dress in the girls’ pool locker room last year, WJLA TV’s Nick Minock reported on Thursday. As with many public schools, the pool and facilities are open to the public outside school hours. He also revealed that a current Arlington School Board member, when running for her school board position, had an empathetic email exchange with a male sex offender who used girls’ spaces at Arlington schools.

The Federalist asked Spanberger in an email if she supports trans-identifying, male sex offenders showering with young girls? And does she condemn the sympathetic emails between the sex offender and a school board member candidate?

Republican candidate Winsome Earle-Sears knows her position and is not ashamed to say it out loud: “Girls are girls, and boys are boys.” She will support policies that promote the separation of the sexes in sports and private areas.  

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‘Male pitcher’: Minnesota’s transgender radicalism lands state in violation of Title IX

The transgender radicalism in the state of Minnesota, run by Democrat Gov. Tim Walz, has landed the state in violation of federal law.

Officials there have been given 10 days by the Department of Education to comply with the federal Title IX statute or face a Department of Justice referral.

It’s because the state’s transgender agenda that infringes on the rights of girls has allowed a boy to be on a girls’ high school softball team.

The violation notice also confirmed that the state has let males into girls’ alpine skiing, girls’ Nordic skiing, girls’ lacrosse, girls’ track and field and girls’ volleyball teams.

“For too many years, Minnesota’s political leadership has found itself on the wrong side of justice, common sense, and the American people. Now the Minnesota Department of Education and the Minnesota State High School League find themselves on the wrong side of Title IX by allowing males to compete in women’s sports,” explained Craig Trainor, the DOE acting assistant secretary of civil rights.

“The Trump Administration will not allow Minnesota or any other state to sacrifice the safety, fair treatment, and dignity of its female students to appease the false idols of radical gender ideology. Once an education program or entity takes federal funds, Title IX compliance becomes mandatory. And the federal government will hold Minnesota accountable until it recognizes that fact.”

The state was allowed 10 days to change its policies to comply with federal law.

A report from Fox News said it also must comply with President Donald Trump’s “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” order.

The determination of violation came from both the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services.

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Fired women’s coach saw male player ‘wink’ at opponent after endangering female teammate: lawsuit

San Jose State University committed employment and sex discrimination and retaliation by firing women’s volleyball associate head coach Melissa Batie-Smoose for exposing a secretly recruited male on the team, according to a new lawsuit by the Child and Parental Rights Campaign on her behalf against the California State University system.

“Punishing coaches for raising concerns about the fairness and integrity of women’s sports not only harms the individual advocate but also undermines the enforcement of Title IX’s mandate and has a chilling effect on those who seek to protect sex equality in collegiate athletics,” the suit says.

Batie-Smoose was suspended, then fired “not based on her job performance” – the suit includes her Feb. 28, 2024, reappointment letter – but “in direct retaliation for her opposition to sex discrimination and her advocacy for the fairness and equal access to programs, services, and activities for female athletes.”

She has “suffered and continues to suffer lost wages, loss of professional reputation and opportunities, emotional distress, and other damages,” and seeks reinstatement, back pay, compensatory and punitive damages.

Batie-Smoose also wants an injunction against CSU to stop future, possible Title VII and Title IX violations and implement policies, training and monitoring to “protect advocacy for the statutory rights of female athletes” and prevent retaliation against employees for raising concerns about sex-based discrimination.

The university declined to comment other than acknowledging the lawsuit.

It’s been a long and winding journey for the ex-coach, whose home was shot at days before she spoke at a state Capitol rally in February for legislation pitched as protecting girls, women and parental rights, shortly after her firing. CPRC’s Vernadette Broyles told Just the News at the time “the wheels are spinning rapidly in this process” of litigation preparation.

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Vermont Christian School Reinstated After Being Banned for Refusing to Compete Against Trans Athlete

A federal appeals court has ruled in a favor of a Christian school in Vermont that was banned by state officials from participating in school competitions for refusing to play against a team with a transgender-identifying athlete. 

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued an order on September 9 overturning a lower court order and granting a preliminary injunction to Mid Vermont Christian School blocking the Vermont Principals’ Association (VPA) expulsion of the school as litigation goes on, Fox News reported. The panel of judges ruled that the school is “likely to succeed” on its Free Exercise claim because the VPA’s actions show “hostility toward the school’s religious beliefs.” 

In February of 2023, Mid Vermont’s girls basketball team “forfeited a playoff game against Long Trail School” after they found out “a transgender-identifying male student” was on the opposing team. Mid Vermont school officials said at the time that they were concerned about fairness and safety for their female players, according to the report.

A few weeks later, the VPA responded by expelling the Christian school from all state-sponsored sports, as well as non-athletic events such as science fairs and spelling bees.

Alliance Defending Freedom subsequently filed a lawsuit against state officials on behalf to the Christian school and one of its families. The lawsuit alleges that state officials punished the school for exercising its religious liberty, which is protected by the First Amendment.

VPA Executive Director Jay Nichols allegedly accused the school of “blatant discrimination under the guise of religious freedom” just two days after the school forfeited the game, according to court documents. The VPA’s appeals committee also called the school’s safety concerns a “myth” and labeled its religious objection “wrong,” the report states. 

“It is a myth that transgender students endanger others when they participate in high school sports or create unfair competition,” the committee wrote.

Head coach Chris Goodwin, who has held the position for almost a decade and whose daughter is a member of the team, told the outlet that the school’s decision was tough but necessary. 

“It’s clear in Scripture that there is a difference between males and females. So if we decided to play that game, in essence, we’d be agreeing with the state’s belief system that boys can be girls and male athletes can be female athletes,” he said.

Goodwin told the outlet his team had to drive several hours away to neighboring states to compete in a Christian league after the VPA’s decision, which resulted in athletes losing exposure and scholarship opportunities. 

“Athletics in high school and junior high is a really big part of the overall educational experience. So for that to be taken away from the kids was very disappointing, and for them to lose out on opportunities to be recognized in the state as all-state athletes or all-conference athletes and also have the possibility of receiving scholarships is a big deal. And they were denied that opportunity by the state,” he said.

David Cortman, senior counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom, told the outlet the Second Circuit’s decision should set a precedent and protect other religious schools that face similar dilemmas. 

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Chicago Cubs Sued for Allegedly Using Facial Recognition on Fans Without Consent at Wrigley Field

A federal lawsuit filed in Illinois claims the Chicago Cubs and their security contractors used facial recognition technology on fans at Wrigley Field without following basic legal requirements under state privacy law.

The proposed class action, lodged on September 15, 2025, says the team and two private security firms captured biometric data without proper notice or permission.

The legal complaint names the Cubs alongside Blue Star Security, LLC and Security Services Holdings LLC, which operates under the name Protos Security.

We obtained a copy of the complaint for you here.

Together, they are accused of deploying facial recognition tools at Wrigley Field that scanned the faces of attendees without providing the written disclosures or obtaining the signed releases required by Illinois law.

The suit states that this happened to “millions of fans.”

Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), passed in 2008, sets out some of the most protective rules in the country when it comes to biometric data.

The statute prohibits the collection of biometric identifiers, like fingerprints or facial geometry, unless the person is informed in writing and gives signed authorization.

Lawsuits can be brought by individuals even if they haven’t suffered financial or emotional harm, a position backed by the Illinois Supreme Court in Rosenbach v. Six Flags.

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Sex tests brought in after data showed 50-60 DSD athletes in finals, World Athletics says

Between 50 and 60 athletes who went through male puberty have been finalists in the female category in global and continental track and field championships since 2000, according to a senior World Athletics official.

World Athletics has introduced SRY screening, a gene test that uses a cheek swab to assess if someone is biologically male or female, for the world championships in Tokyo.

In a presentation to a scientific panel in the Japanese capital on Friday, Dr Stéphane Bermon, head of health and science at World Athletics, outlined why the sport’s governing body believes such screens are necessary as he presented data collected over the past 25 years. He said it showed that athletes with differences of sex development (DSD), who have a 46 XY karyotype with male testes but were reported female at birth, were significantly “over-represented” in major finals and that it “compromises the integrity of the female competitions”.

“Everyone is watching World Athletics and we are leading in this area,” Bermon said before telling his audience that there were “approximately 50-60 cases of DSD in athletics”.

In total between 2000 and 2023, Bermon said there had been 135 DSD finalists in elite international events, given some of the 50 to 60 athletes competed in more than one final. He also showed a slide that said that DSD cases are 151.9 times more likely than would be expected given the number of DSD individuals in the general population.

The numbers, which were derived by anti-doping tests that revealed high testosterone levels – and arguably therefore may not capture every case – are significantly higher than many in the sport had expected.

There have been several high-profile cases of athletes with a DSD athlete winning global medals, most prominently the South African Caster Semenya, who won women’s 800m Olympic gold at the 2012 and 2016 Games. Christine Mboma also made significant headlines four years ago when the Namibian claimed a silver medal in the women’s 200m at the Tokyo 2020 Games.

Neither athlete has competed at elite level since World Athletics ­introduced rules requiring DSD ­individuals to suppress their ­testosterone levels.

When the new SRY testing policy was unveiled, Sebastian Coe, the president of World Athletics, made it clear his determination to ensure only biological females competed in the category.

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LaLiga’s Anti-Piracy Crackdown Triggers Widespread Internet Disruptions Across Spain

LaLiga, Spain’s top football league, is facing a firestorm of criticism after boasting about a staggering 142% increase in anti-piracy takedown notices in early 2025 while simultaneously causing extensive collateral damage across the internet.

As the 2025/2026 season began on August 15, LaLiga ramped up its enforcement strategy, triggering widespread outages for entirely lawful websites, services, and platforms.

These disruptions are tied to a controversial anti-piracy scheme operated in partnership with telecom giant Telefónica.

The initiative, which enjoys judicial backing in Spain, allows LaLiga to instruct major internet service providers, including Movistar, Vodafone, Orange, and DIGI, to block IP addresses suspected of hosting unauthorized streams.

The fallout is that entire chunks of the internet go dark for Spanish users, often during match broadcasts.

LaLiga doesn’t target specific infringing content. Instead, it flags entire IP ranges, many of which are shared by thousands of unrelated domains.

When one site is accused of hosting pirated material, everyone else sharing that IP address gets swept up in the block.

The result is a digital dragnet that has ensnared companies as diverse as Amazon, Cloudflare, GitHub, Twitch, and even Google Fonts.

TorrentFreak has documented repeated weekly blocks of platforms like Vercel since early 2025, while Catalonia’s own .cat domain registry has also reported service disruptions.

The issue became so disruptive that iXsystems, the team behind TrueNAS, a widely used open-source NAS operating system, was forced to shift its distribution model entirely. After its CDN IPs were repeatedly blocked in Spain, making critical security updates inaccessible to users, the developers resorted to distributing their software via BitTorrent.

“These locks have a significant collateral damage about legitimate services, which have nothing to do with football piracy,” TrueNAS noted. Their solution not only bypasses censorship but hands the bandwidth burden back to the same ISPs complicit in the blocking.

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