Three Oregon high school athletes and their families have filed a federal lawsuit against the state and several school districts over policies that allow transgender athletes—biological males—to compete in girls’ sports.

The lawsuit, filed July 7 in U.S. District Court in Portland, names Gov. Tina Kotek, the Oregon Department of Education, the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA), and the Forest Grove, Newberg, and Portland school districts.

The plaintiffs include Forest Grove High School senior Madelyn Eischen and two Newberg High School track athletes, identified only by their initials because they are minors.

According to the complaint, Oregon’s current rules have resulted in “biological males displacing biological females on the victory podium, excluding some girls from competition altogether, and depriving others of honors, scholarships, and chances to compete at higher levels.”

This legal challenge comes just weeks after a transgender runner, Aayden Gallagher, sparked outrage at Oregon’s state championships. Gallagher, a sophomore at McDaniel High School, was booed by spectators while being crowned the Oregon Girls’ 6A 200-meter state champion. Videos from the event show Gallagher crossing the finish line to audible jeers, and other competitors on the podium noticeably refused to applaud as Gallagher was announced the winner.

Gallagher’s win reignited heated debates about fairness in girls’ athletics, with critics arguing that physiological differences give transgender athletes an unfair advantage. Similar controversy erupted earlier this year in West Virginia, where middle school girls were barred from a track meet after they protested competing against a transgender athlete.

Title IX vs. Oregon Policy

Oregon’s state guidance requires schools to allow transgender students to participate in sports consistent with their gender identity under antidiscrimination laws. But the families behind the lawsuit argue this violates Title IX, which was designed to ensure equal opportunities for female athletes by accounting for physical differences between the sexes.

“The protections Title IX guaranteed for women are being undermined,” the complaint says.

The lawsuit seeks an injunction to block Oregon’s current participation policy for girls’ sports, citing former President Donald Trump’s “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” executive order as a basis for restoring fairness. The plaintiffs are also seeking damages for what they describe as emotional and competitive harm.

Districts Respond

Newberg-Dundee Public Schools said in a statement that it has “followed all applicable state laws and guidance regarding student athletics and participation” and remains committed to compliance. Forest Grove School District and Portland Public Schools declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Meanwhile, the OSAA has defended its transgender participation policy, stating it aims to “provide a fair and safe environment for all students” while allowing athletes to compete in accordance with their “consistently asserted gender identity.”

This Oregon lawsuit joins a growing number of legal battles nationwide challenging transgender participation in women’s sports, as families and athletes call for protections to ensure girls aren’t pushed off the podium or out of competition altogether.