A group of middle-aged school girls from West Virginia has been “punished” by their school board after protesting against a biological male competing in their track competition.
Numerous female students refused to partake in the shot put event in protest. They were later prohibited from competing at a track event at the end of April.
Five Lincoln Girls Protest
A video posted on social media last month shows several girls from Lincoln Middle School standing together in protest during the Harrison County Middle School Championships on April 18.
The footage shows the female students stepping into the shot put ring one by one before quickly leaving, making no attempt to compete.
Why Did the Female Students Protest?
The young female competitors staged the protest after discovering that a biological male would be competition in their category.
The video was later shared on X by Riley Gaines, the 12-time All-American swimmer who made headlines after protesting her loss to a biological male, Lia Thomas, in 2022.
Riley Gaines Shares Video on X
Gaines shared the minute-long clip on her X account alongside several paragraphs that shed light on the circumstances surrounding the protest.
She wrote, “FIVE middle school female athletes in West Virginia refuse to throw shot put against male, Becky Pepper-Jackson.”
Court Claim Pepper-Jackson is Permitted to Compete Under Title IX Rights
Gaines explained that the decision to protest came just two days after the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals allowed Pepper-Jackson to compete because they deemed it in line with Title IX rights.
This comes just two days after the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals blocked the WV law that says you must compete in the category that matches your sex.
Young Competitors Become the Adults in the Room, Says Gaines
“It’s a sad day when 13- to 14-year-old girls have to be the adults in the room, but I couldn’t be more inspired by and proud of these girls.”
Gaines finished by saying, “Enough is enough. The tide is turning!”
Pepper Jackson Easily Wins Event
Pepper-Jackson has been living as a female for the past few years and has been actively taking puberty blockers.
According to AthleticNet, she cruised to an easy victory with a toss of 32 feet 9 inches, beating second place by over three feet.
Parents File Complaint Against Board of Education
After the event, four parents of the female competitors who staged the protest filed a legal complaint against the Harrison County Board of Education.
The complaint was issued after the girls attended a press conference on April 24, which aimed to address the protest. However, the protestors were punished for their actions.
Girls Prohibited From Competing at Next Event
Gaines, state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, Auditor J.B. McCuskey, and several other important figures attended the press conference.
At the event, the father of one of the girls “spoke with Lincoln Middle School principal Lori Scott,” who told him that the girls who protested “would not be permitted to compete in a scheduled track and field meet on April 27, 2024.”
Coach Informs Girls They Are Banned From Competition
The complaint revealed the girl’s coach, Dawn Riestenberg, spoke with another parent and “informed him that his daughter would not be allowed to participate in the scheduled track and field meet on April 27.”
Riestenberg suggested the girls were banned from the next meet as it was her job “to score points for the track team.”
Punished For Exercising Rights to Freedom of Speech
The complaint alleges that the school board is punishing the girls “for exercising their rights to freedom of speech and expression under the Constitution of West Virginia.”
It was filed on April 26 and doesn’t seek monetary damages; instead, it seeks “injunctive relief.”
State Attorney General Morrisey Speaks on the Situation
State Attorney General Morrisey said, “The only thing this decision does is teach these children to keep their mouths shut and not disagree with what they saw as unfairness,” Morrisey said in a news release, according to WBOY-TV.
“That is outrageous, and it tramples these students’ rights to freedom of speech and expression.”
