A teenage wrestler from the Puyallup School District in Washington has taken her Title IX lawsuit to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, seeking emergency safety protections before the upcoming wrestling season. The student, identified in court documents as K.M.K., alleges she was sexually assaulted on the mat last winter by a biological male who identifies as trans.
Background and legal filing
Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) filed an emergency motion on behalf of K.M.K. and her mother, Stephanie Brown, asking the appeals court to act by Sept. 25. The motion challenges policies enforced by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA), the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the Puyallup School District.
After a district judge denied a preliminary injunction on Aug. 23, Brown and K.M.K. appealed on Aug. 25 and again sought protection on Aug. 31. When the judge again refused, ADF escalated the case to the Ninth Circuit.
Alleged incident
The dispute stems from a South Puget Sound League tournament match on Dec. 6, 2025, at Emerald Ridge High School. K.M.K. entered the match without being told her opponent was a biological male who competes as trans. During the bout, the opponent allegedly shoved his fingers through K.M.K.’s clothing and penetrated her genital area for several seconds. The complaint states K.M.K. allowed herself to be pinned in order to escape.
Brown says the school never warned her daughter that she might face a trans competitor. She alleges the school’s response after the match deepened their concerns. Brown first contacted Rogers High School wrestling coach Lucia Scott on Dec. 8, providing video evidence and requesting action. Scott allegedly forwarded the report to athletic director Peter Collins, who involved principal Jason Smith.
According to Brown, school officials assured her they would investigate but then went silent. She claims the district waited 55 days before notifying authorities: a school resource officer on Jan. 30, 2026, and state child‑welfare officials on Feb. 12.
Legal arguments
ADF argues that forcing K.M.K. to compete against biological males, or compelling her to forfeit her season if she refuses, violates her constitutional parental‑rights under Mirabelli v. Bonta. The attorneys also contend that the policy denies K.M.K. equal athletic opportunity under Title IX.
The filing cites the Supreme Court’s decision in West Virginia v. B.P.J., which recognized that biological differences can create serious safety risks in girls’ contact sports and place female athletes at a competitive disadvantage.
Brown seeks at minimum advance notice of any match involving a biological male and the ability to remove her daughter from such contests. The WIAA declined comment, citing pending litigation.
Broader context
The appeal arrives amid a wave of lawsuits challenging trans‑athlete participation in girls’ sports. Earlier this week, a federal judge dismissed the Trump administration’s suit against California over its policies allowing trans athletes to compete according to gender identity, finding the government had not clearly tied funding conditions to exclusion of biological males.
While the California case involves different legal questions, both disputes center on the same core issue: whether biological males may be permitted to compete in girls’ athletics. ADF emphasizes that the Washington case presents an immediate safety concern because it involves a teenage athlete who alleges an invasive incident during a wrestling match and could face a similar encounter again.
What’s at stake
If the Ninth Circuit grants emergency relief, Washington schools may be required to provide advance notice of any trans opponent and allow families to opt out without penalizing the student’s season. Such a ruling would reinforce parental‑rights and Title IX protections for female athletes, while also shaping how state athletic associations handle gender‑identity policies.
The case underscores the tension between inclusion policies and the safety and fairness concerns voiced by many parents and faith‑based communities across the nation.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
