A federal judge last week cleared the way for a trans girl at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School to continue competing in girls’ running events.
During a March 4 court proceeding, U.S. District Judge Wendy Beetlestone rejected a request from a Quakertown cisgender girl, A.M., who doesn’t want to compete against the trans girl, L.A., in running events.
A.M. wanted Beetlestone to issue a restraining order preventing L.A. from competing in girls’ and women’s sports in the future.
Between September 2024 and February 2025, A.M. has competed against L.A. in three running events. A.M. is a senior at Quakertown Community High School in Upper Bucks County.
“Allowing transgender individuals, including but [not] limited to L.A. to compete in women’s sports will result in unfair competition, potentially depriving female athletes of opportunities for scholarships, recognition, and advancement in their sports careers,” wrote Solomon M. Radner, an attorney for A.M. and her mother, Holly Magalengo, in a court filing.
Radner said it’s important to protect the “integrity” of women’s sports. “The harm to female athletes from allowing transgender individuals to compete in women’s sports outweighs any potential harm to transgender athletes from being excluded from women’s sports as these individuals are able to participate in the same sports under their correct sex,” Radner wrote in a court filing.
But during the March 4 proceeding, Beetlestone questioned the need for a restraining order, since Radner wasn’t sure A.M. would be competing against L.A. in future races, according to published reports.
In January, Radner filed a lawsuit on behalf of A.M. and her mother, seeking a permanent halt to L.A. competing in girls’ and women’s sports. The lawsuit remains pending and a jury trial has been requested.
Plymouth Whitemarsh High School is in the Colonial School District.
In court papers, attorneys for the district said trans students in the district have been allowed to compete on sports teams that match their gender identity since 2019.
The policy is supported by state and federal laws, including the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act. Moreover, a Third Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in 2018 upheld trans rights within the Boyertown Area School District, according to attorneys for the Colonial School District.
Attorneys for the Colonial School District also argued in court papers that judges shouldn’t perform the role of a “super school board,” and interfere with the decisions of local school boards.
At the March 4 proceeding, Michele J. Mintz, an attorney for the Colonial School District, said there was no evidence the Quakertown student had lost any possible scholarships as a result of competing against A.M.
The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, which creates rules for athletic competitions among its member schools, appears to have endorsed a much-publicized executive order by President Donald Trump regarding the exclusion of female trans athletes from sports teams that match their gender identity.
However, at the March 4 proceeding, Beetlestone said President Trump’s executive order regarding transgender athletes doesn’t establish new rights for anyone nor does it void any of the antibias laws cited by advocates who want trans athletes protected.
Kristina Moon, senior attorney for the Education Law Center, issued this statement regarding Beetlestone’s ruling: “Our organization was pleased with [Beetlestone’s] denial of the restraining order. There is significant legal authority for trans kids’ right to play sports, based on federal appeals court rulings. It is also required in Pennsylvania under state law to allow trans students to participate in sports that are aligned with their gender identity. The Colonial School District’s policy acknowledges that reality. Let’s stop the scapegoating of these students who just want to be able to attend school, be themselves, and participate fully in school activities like everybody else.”
Attorneys for A.M. and Holly Magalengo declined to comment for this story.