A coalition of 18 attorneys general from around the country signed onto an amicus brief supporting a transgender student's challenge to a West Virginia law that bans transgender students from female sports teams.
Co-leading the brief backing the student's legal challenge is New York Attorney General Letitia James, who in a statement on Tuesday called the law inconsistent with basic rights for transgender people.
“When a transgender student is prevented from playing on the sports team consistent with their gender identity, their rights are taken away from them and we will not stand for it,” James said. “Transgender students should be afforded the same opportunities as their peers and deserve to live without fear of discrimination or stigma. My office is dedicated to combating any effort to restrict rights or punish people solely for being who they are.”
James argues in the brief, filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, against dismissing the lawsuit and that it denies transgender student athletes the same athletic opportunities as their peers.
Supporters of the West Virginia law, first approved in 2021, have called the measure constitutional and a matter of defending women's sports.
"This is a matter of basic common sense and basic fairness," said West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, according to Reuters. "We believe we are absolutely correct on the merits."
A lower court judge this year agreed with the constitutionality of the law. The case could go before the Supreme Court, leading to a national clash over the issue.