Parents at Bow High School in New Hampshire are claiming their free speech rights were violated after being banned from school events for wearing wristbands in protest of a biological male competing on the girls’ soccer team. The parents wore pink wristbands with “XX” on them, a symbol of biological females, during a soccer game to show their support for their daughters.
The peaceful protest quickly escalated when school officials stopped the game, demanded the parents remove the wristbands, and issued “no trespass” orders barring them from future school events. One parent, Anthony Foote, was shocked to learn he was banned from attending his daughter’s homecoming game, calling the situation “ridiculous.”
Foote and other parents argue that their actions were not disruptive and that their protest was ignored by school officials who, they say, were more interested in silencing them than addressing the legitimate safety concerns of their daughters. They provided video evidence to show that the game proceeded without any chanting or shouting.
School authorities, however, claim the parents’ protest required additional police presence and disrupted the event. The parents insist their main concern is ensuring the safety of their daughters, especially given previous incidents where female athletes were injured while competing against biological males in other sports.
Despite being banned from school property, the parents say they will continue to advocate for their daughters’ right to safe and fair competition, accusing school officials of attempting to silence them rather than listen to their concerns.
