What we know
What we know: New Hampshire dads who protested transgender athletes by wearing pink wristbands score court victory
Compiled Nov 5
What we know
- Kyle Fellers and Anthony Foote sued the Bow school district after being banned from school grounds for wearing pink 'XX' wristbands at a 2024 soccer game involving a transgender athlete.
- U.S. District Court Judge Steven McAuliffe ruled the men have a First Amendment right to wear the wristbands and that school officials violated it.
- Under a settlement, the district's risk pool will pay $225,000 to the Institute for Free Speech and $50,000 to the men's attorney.
- Each plaintiff will receive $17.91, symbolizing the year the First Amendment was ratified.
- A federal appeals court had earlier ruled in the men's favor, saying officials cannot favor one side of a parental speech debate.
- School officials argued they had a duty to protect students from harassment, citing comments from Foote and another parent.
What we don’t know yet
- An attorney for the school district did not respond to an email seeking comment.
Open questions
- Will the Bow school district comment or respond further to the ruling?
- Will the district change its policies on parent conduct at games?
- Could the transgender athlete or family respond to the settlement?
- Does this ruling set a precedent for other districts facing similar protests?
Drawn from the Associated Press report. “What we don’t know” lists only what the reporting itself flags as unresolved.