U.S. District Court Chief Judge Landya McCafferty extended a temporary order for a transgender girl to play soccer for her high school team while considering the possibilities of a longer-term order and a trial as the teen and another student challenge a New Hampshire ban, NBC News reported.
The families of Parker Tirrell, 15, and Iris Turmelle, 14, filed a lawsuit on Aug. 16 seeking to overturn the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act that Republican Gov. Chris Sununu signed into law in July. Tirrell sought an emergency order allowing her to start soccer practice three days later.
McCafferty initially ruled in Tirrell’s favor. She extended that order on Aug. 27—the day it was expiring—through Sept. 10. McCafferty also listened to arguments on the plaintiffs’ broader motion for a preliminary order blocking the state from enforcing the law while the case proceeds.
Pro-LGBTQ+ organizations praised the ruling and order extension. “We are pleased with the court’s decision to affirm what we already know, that students deserve to be treated with dignity and respect and have a right to freely express who they are without the fear of being forcibly outed.” said ACLU of New Hampshire Deputy Legal Director Henry Klementowicz in a joint press release with GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) that Windy City Times received. “Removing the Manchester School District’s existing, affirming policy would have created an environment where LGBTQ+ students don’t feel safe being who they are—and in school, they should feel safe, cared for, and able to learn to the best of their ability.”