Federal government increases pressure on Oregon and Virginia for disregarding Trump's executive order related to Title IX and women's sports

In the United States, the states of Oregon and Virginia are currently at the centre of a growing legal controversy over the participation of transgender athletes in girls' sports.

Oregon

Three high school girls filed a federal lawsuit on July 27, 2025, against the Oregon Department of Education and Oregon School Athletics Association. The lawsuit demands that transgender athletes be banned from competing in girls' sports moving forward, and that their past competitive records be erased. The plaintiffs argue that allowing transgender girls, referred to as "biological males" in the suit, to compete violates Title IX, as they have an unfair physiological advantage over cisgender girls.

The lawsuit targets three Oregon school districts and state entities for discrimination, aiming to restore equal opportunities for cisgender girls. This legal action was supported by the America First Policy Institute, a conservative think tank formed by former Trump administration officials.

In March 2025, there was a federal government investigation into two Oregon school institutions over allowing a transgender girl to participate in girls’ track and field events, focusing on whether these actions violate Title IX protections.

Virginia

While specific litigation related to Virginia was not found, the state is part of a broader national context of cases involving transgender athletes. The Supreme Court has agreed to hear cases challenging laws banning transgender girls from competing in girls’ sports, which include appeals from lower courts relevant to states like West Virginia and others in the Fourth Circuit, which covers Virginia.

The Supreme Court cases focus on whether such bans violate the Constitution and Title IX protections by discriminating based on sex and transgender status. These rulings could have broad implications for similar laws in Virginia and other states.

The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has determined that five school districts in Virginia have violated Title IX. The OCR's investigation was based on complaints alleging that the Virginia school districts have policies that violate the sex-based protections of Title IX by discriminating against students who identify as transgender.

Nationwide Implications

The U.S. Department of Justice has already launched lawsuits against officials in Maine and California for those states' policies that allow trans athletes in girls' and women's sports. Secretary Linda McMahon's announcement of actions against the states of Oregon and Virginia reflects a broader national campaign against schools defying Title IX.

The forthcoming rulings from the Supreme Court could directly impact policies and lawsuits in both Oregon and Virginia. In Oregon, incidents such as the state's track and field championships, where girls like Alexa Anderson and Reese Eckard were excluded from official photos and withheld their medals, have raised concerns about fairness and equal opportunities.

In Virginia, Secretary McMahon stated that the school districts have been tolerating unlawful discrimination in the service of an extreme political ideology. The girls' First Amendment rights were allegedly infringed upon by the officials in these incidents.

This issue is not limited to Oregon and Virginia. Both Eischen and Carpenter, two girls involved in similar incidents, previously stated that their experiences were "traumatic." The debate over transgender athletes in girls' sports is a complex one, with emotional and legal implications that extend beyond individual cases.

As the legal battles unfold, it remains to be seen how these cases will shape policies and attitudes towards transgender participation in sports across the United States.

Sources:

The New York Times
The Washington Post
The Associated Press
The Oregonian
The Hill
Politics in the United States is buzzing with the ongoing legal controversy over transgender athletes participating in girls' sports, particularly in Oregon and Virginia.
Sports and politics intertwine as three high school girls file a lawsuit against the Oregon Department of Education and Oregon School Athletics Association.
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