Transgender Athlete Competes in WV Girls Track Amid SCOTUS Case

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. — Becky Pepper-Jackson, a sophomore at Bridgeport High School, steps into the throwing circle for the discus event, blocks out the crowd and pivots to launch the discus into the fading light. The 16-year-old transgender athlete focuses on improving her performance from last year's state meet, where she placed third in discus, while enjoying the team camaraderie during what may be her final high school track season.

Pepper-Jackson's participation in girls' track and field has drawn national attention due to a pending U.S. Supreme Court decision expected by early summer. The case centers on a 2021 West Virginia law that bars transgender girls from competing in female sports at middle schools, high schools and colleges. Pepper-Jackson challenged the law at age 11, and in 2023, the Supreme Court allowed her to continue competing in middle school during the litigation. Now in high school, she remains the only transgender student in the state to seek competition in girls' events.

The lawsuit argues the ban violates the U.S. Constitution's equal protection clause and Title IX, the federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in education. During January oral arguments,...