Supreme Court to hear arguments next week on Idaho’s “Fairness in Women’s Sports” Act
David Pace
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – Idaho will soon defend its law preventing transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports in the nation’s highest court.
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments next week on the case Little v. Hecox about the constitutionality of Idaho’s “Fairness in Women’s Sports” Act.
State Representative Barbara Ehardt (R-Idaho Falls), who sponsored the law, is heading to the hearing before the nation’s highest court in Washington, D.C.
“Finally, after five and a half years, my legislation that was passed in 2020 – first of its kind – the ‘Fairness in Women’s Sports’ is being heard by the Supreme Court of the United States,” Ehardt said.
The act requires athletes to participate in boys’ or girls’ sports teams corresponding with their biological sex. Co-ed teams are permitted, but the law specifically bans transgender individuals from participating in girls’ sports.
The law has been blocked by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
“The outcome that we’re hoping for is that this not only deals with sports across the spectrum as was intended federally with Title IX,” Ehardt said, “but what we’re also hoping is that it takes even a little bit broader definition as it defines men and women – what a female, what a male is – and that some of that definition then will obviously then affect our locker rooms and our bathrooms and our, you know, basically private spaces for girls and women that should be protected.”
State Rep. Barbara Ehardt (R-Idaho Falls) discusses the Little v. Hecox case, centered on her “Fairness in Women’s Sports” law, which is going before the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday.
The American Civil Liberties Union and Lindsey Hecox, a transgender athlete at Boise State University, sued the state in 2020 so that Hecox could try out for the Bronco women’s track and cross country teams.
Hecox requested that the case be thrown out in September, which was denied by U.S. District Judge David Nye.
26 states have followed Idaho’s lead and adopted similar legislation.
In addition to affirming or expanding on the “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act,” Supreme Court justices could potentially rule that Idaho’s law is moot, or it could be limited only to Idaho, Ehardt said.
The case will be heard on Tuesday, January 13, and a ruling is expected by late June.