New ruling reveals fate of middle school girls banned for protesting trans competitor

Former NCAA athletes Paula Scanlan and Adriana McLamb share their message ahead of the meeting, urging the organization to adopt the transgender ban.

Five West Virginia middle school girls banned from participating in track and field meets after they protested against a trans athlete last week are allowed to compete again, a judge ruled Thursday night.

Judge Thomas A. Bedell issued a preliminary injunction that prevents the Harrison Board of Education and its schools from penalizing student-athletes for their speech. 

The school board denied allegations of retaliation against the students, and instead asserted the students were allowed to protest without hindrance and with full awareness and permission from coaches and the principal.

"Those students, like all of the other students on the team, however, were subject to a team rule that any player who scratches in an event cannot participate in that event at the next track meet," the board said in a statement. "This neutral, school-specific rule was in place before the students’ protests and has nothing to do with those protests in any way. Other than not being permitted to participate in the same event in which they scratched at the next track meet, the students have competed in track meets and events following their protests without restriction."

OREGON HIGH SCHOOL TRANSGENDER TRACK ATHLETE COMPETES AGAINST GIRLS AT EVENT, SPARKING OUTRAGE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Becky Pepper Jackson, a trans athlete in West Virginia (ACLU)

West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey filed an amicus brief this week in support of the plaintiffs and praised the judge's decision. 

"These girls didn’t disrupt anything when they protested. They should be commended, not punished," Morrisey