Four former members of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority at the University of Wyoming returned to federal court on Monday, asking the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to revive their lawsuit against the national organization. The plaintiffs contend that the sorority’s national leadership improperly allowed a chapter to admit a transgender woman without following the chapter’s established voting procedures.
Alumnae seek legal precedent for women‑only spaces
Allie Coghan, a recent graduate, told Fox News Digital that the appeal is intended to set a clear legal precedent protecting single‑sex private spaces and ensuring that national organizations cannot override the consent of local members. “We were promised a sisterhood, and we were given a brother,” Coghan said. She added that if Kappa Kappa Gamma wishes to redefine the word “woman,” it must do so through the proper voting process, which the chapter alleges it did not follow.
The dispute dates back to 2022, when Artemis Langford, a transgender student, was admitted to the University of Wyoming chapter. Coghan and other sorority members said they raised concerns, but the chapter allegedly bypassed its traditional recruitment app and required members to submit non‑anonymous Google Forms attached to their email addresses. “They were knocking on girls’ doors asking for proof that you had voted,” Coghan recalled, adding that officers warned members they would be labeled “transphobic” if they voted against the admission.
National leadership unresponsive, alumnae file suit
According to Coghan, attempts by members and parents to contact the sorority’s national leadership were ignored; phone calls went unanswered and email responses eventually stopped. The alumnae, supported by the Independent Women’s Law Center, filed a breach‑of‑contract lawsuit. U.S. District Judge Alan B. Johnson dismissed the case, ruling that a private organization may interpret its own membership requirements. The plaintiffs appealed, and the 10th Circuit heard oral arguments in Denver.
During the hearing, Coghan described the sorority house as a “political war zone” after Langford was granted 24/7 access to common areas, including hallways leading to the showers. “Girls had to walk past him in towels,” she said, noting that members sometimes acted as lookouts for one another while showering to ensure the hallway was clear.
Personal stakes and broader implications
Although Coghan has graduated, she said a sense of duty to younger women keeps her involved. She expressed frustration with what she called the modern feminist movement’s shift away from protecting women’s spaces. “Woman means woman. A woman is an adult human female,” she asserted.
Her fellow plaintiff, Hannah Holtmeier, echoed these concerns, recalling a chapter president’s comment that members who disliked the change could simply leave the sorority. “Being told that if you don’t like it, you can drop and not live in a house that I had called home for a year and a half was absolutely mind‑boggling,” Holtmeier told the Riley Gaines Show podcast.
Legal question before the appeals panel
The three‑judge panel will decide whether the national leadership can legally redefine core membership terms, such as the definition of “woman,” without a formal vote from the organization’s members or an amendment to its bylaws. A ruling in favor of the alumnae could reinforce the right of private, single‑sex organizations to maintain women‑only spaces, while a decision to uphold the lower court’s dismissal would preserve the national organization’s authority to set inclusive membership policies.
Fox News Digital reached out to Kappa Kappa Gamma for comment but did not receive an immediate response.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
