High school athlete Becky Pepper-Jackson is preparing for what may be her last track season as the U.S. Supreme Court nears a ruling on whether transgender girls can compete in girls' sports. The case, West Virginia v. B.P.J., could immediately bar Pepper-Jackson and other transgender student-athletes from competing if the court upholds state bans.
Pepper-Jackson, a sophomore at Bridgeport High School in West Virginia, has publicly identified as a girl since she was 8 and began socially transitioning in early childhood. She started puberty-blocking medication at the onset of puberty, a medical history her attorneys argue is central to her case.
In 2021, at age 11, Pepper-Jackson became a plaintiff after West Virginia enacted a law barring transgender athletes from competing on girls' teams in middle school, high school, and college. The law prompted a legal challenge that placed her at the center of a national debate. In 2023, the Supreme Court allowed her to continue competing while the lawsuit progressed.
Now, with the final ruling expected by early summer, the case is nearing its conclusion. In January, the court's conservative majority signaled it is likely to uphold state bans, determining that they do not violate the Constitution or Title IX, the federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in education.
Pepper-Jackson has said she is not seeking an advantage but simply wants to enjoy time with her friends. 'I’ve been like pushed down and have people that just look at me nasty my whole life,' she told the Associated Press. 'And I’ve learned that that’s just something I’m going to have to deal with.'
The Supreme Court also heard arguments in a second case from Idaho, where Lindsay Hecox sued over the state’s first-in-the-nation ban for the chance to try out for the women’s track team.
The outcome of the West Virginia case could reshape policy nationwide, potentially ending Pepper-Jackson’s high school track career and impacting other transgender athletes across the country.