New Hampshire trans athletes withdraw lawsuits challenging women's sports ban

Parker Tirrell and Iris Turmelle, two male‑identifying student athletes, have formally dropped their lawsuits against New Hampshire’s House Bill 1205, which bars trans‑identified athletes from competing on girls’ sports teams. Their attorneys filed a motion in the U.S. District Court for New Hampshire, citing that Turmelle has moved out of state and Tirrell, now a high‑school senior, voluntarily quit the girls’ soccer team.

The lawsuits were placed on hold after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in West Virginia v. B.P.J., which affirmed that states may restrict sports participation to biological females under Title IX. Earlier, a district judge had blocked enforcement of HB 1205, but the Supreme Court ruling lifted that stay. Advocacy groups on both sides commented, with the Alliance Defending Freedom praising the outcome and GLAD Law vowing to continue its advocacy.

A similar case in Arizona, where two trans students also withdrew their claims after the same Supreme Court ruling, highlights the broader impact of the decision on ongoing challenges to state sports bans.