Students Challenge New Hampshire Law Excluding Transgender Girls from School Sports

Students Challenge New Hampshire Law Excluding Transgender Girls from School Sports

High school students Parker Tirrell and Iris Turmelle, joined by their parents and represented by GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), the ACLU of New Hampshire, and Goodwin, say the new law denies them equal education and singles them out for discrimination as they prepare to start the new school year

Today, the families of two New Hampshire public high school students filed a lawsuit challenging a new state law, HB 1205, which categorically bans all transgender girls in grades 5-12 from participating in school sports.

Parker Tirrell is entering tenth grade this year. Parker played on her high school girls' soccer team in ninth grade and is excited to rejoin her teammates when competition starts again on August 30.

Iris Turmelle is entering her first year of high school and is looking forward to trying out for and playing with the tennis and track and field teams.

Under HB 1205, Parker and Iris's schools are commanded to bar them from their teams. The law denies them the many educational, social, and physical and mental health benefits that come with playing sports, isolating them from friends and teammates while singling them out for discrimination solely because they are transgender girls.

"Playing soccer with my teammates is where I feel the most free and happy. We're there for each other, win or lose. Not being allowed to play on my team with the other girls would disconnect me from so many of my friends and make school so much harder. I just want to be myself and to learn, play, and support my teammates like I did last year," said Parker Tirrell.

"I have watched Parker dance with joy on the soccer field during warmups and have seen how her teammates have become her closest friends. Any parent wants to know their child is healthy, happy, and feels like they belong. That is no different for my husband and me as parents of a transgender daughter. I am really worried about the harmful impact it will have on Parker's self-esteem and wellbeing if she is told she has to start the new school year without joining her teammates on the field." said Sara Tirrell, Parker's mother.

"Starting high school is exciting and new. I played intramural tennis in middle school. I've been looking forward to trying out for the tennis and track teams because it will be a way to make more friends in my new school, and I know I'll learn a lot from it. I'm a transgender girl, I've known that my whole life and everyone knows I'm a girl. I don't understand why I shouldn't get to have the same opportunities as other girls at school," said Iris Turmelle.

"The joy of being a part of a team and making friends with girls her age are really what inspires Iris to play tennis. After participating in Girls on the Run she is also looking forward to a new challenge by trying out for the school track and field team. Iris experienced bullying at her middle school, and my husband and I just want her to be safe, feel included, and to be treated fairly so she can have a positive and happy high school experience." said Amy Manzelli, Iris's mother

The lawsuit, Tirrell and Turmelle v. Edelblut, alleges that HB 1205 denies Parker and Iris equal educational opportunities and singles them out for discrimination solely because they are transgender, in violation of federal law and constitutional guarantees of equal protection.

Motions filed today also ask the court for immediate relief to allow Parker to play with her team as the season gets underway and to allow Iris to participate in tryouts for this year's tennis and track and field teams.

Parker, Iris, and their families are represented by Chris Erchull and Ben Klein at GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), Henry Klementowicz and Gilles Bissonnette at the ACLU of New Hampshire, and Louis Lobel, Kevin DeJong, and Elaine Blais at Goodwin.

"Parker and Iris are teenage girls whose high school experience hangs in the balance because HB 1205 is poised to stop them from playing sports. Sports are a pillar of education in New Hampshire public schools because of the countless benefits of physical activity in a team environment, including physical and mental health, leadership skills, and social development. New Hampshire cannot justify singling out transgender girls to deny them essential educational benefits available to other students," said Chris Erchull, Senior Staff Attorney, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD).

"Parker and Iris are entitled to be treated with dignity and respect like every other student. Instead, HB 1205 stigmatizes and discriminates against transgender girls and tells them they aren't deserving of the same educational opportunities to other girls in public schools. All students do better in school when they have access to resources that improve their mental, emotional, and physical health and Parker and Iris deserve that same access,"said Henry Klementowicz, Deputy Legal Director, ACLU of New Hampshire.

"The start of a new school year brings excitement and challenges for all students, but unlike their peers, Parker and Iris are facing their new year being told they are less deserving of an equal education because of who they are. We hope the court will see the harm that will cause them and act quickly to ensure they are allowed to continue playing sports with their teammates," said Louis Lobel, Associate, Goodwin.

Tirrell and Turmelle v. Edelblut was filed in the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire.

This release and the court filings are available on our case page.

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