We are four New England teenagers who propelled the legal battle for fairness in women’s sports

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill reacts to the Supreme Court blocking Biden-Harris administration changes to Title IX.

When we first spoke about it, we were really the only ones doing so. Now, it’s one of the most talked about cultural and political issues of the day. From Olympic athletes to politicians running for office; from middle school girls to NCAA athletes; from celebrities to journalists, coaches and parents, people everywhere are discussing males competing against women in sports and whether that’s fair.

All four of us are track athletes from Connecticut. When we were in high school, we were shocked to face not just one, but two male athletes in our girls’ track-and-field competitions. It was utterly disheartening. 

In just three years, those males completely reshaped girls’ track – and our high school experience – as they broke 17 track meet records, took 15 state championship titles, and deprived girls of advancement opportunities more than 85 times.

Four years ago, we filed the first federal lawsuit of its kind in the nation, challenging our state’s athletic policy that allowed males to compete on the girls’ team. We were just teenagers when we started sharing our experience, and it took a while – and a lot of other female athletes joining us – for the American public and government officials to realize this wasn’t an isolated issue affecting a handful of girls in New England, but rather, it was becoming prevalent.

SUPREME COURT STRIKES DOWN BIDEN-HARRIS TITLE IX CHANGE THAT SOME ARGUED WOULD ALLOW MEN IN WOMEN'S SPORTS

Today, there are many other lawsuits across the country defending female athletes, and it’s common to hear prominent athletes, media personalities and even presidential candidates