BOISE, ID – Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador filed a response with the U.S. Supreme Court Monday opposing plaintiff Lindsay Hecox’s request to dismiss the case Little v. Hecox as moot. Hecox submitted a “suggestion of mootness” after the Court agreed to review Idaho’s Fairness in Women’s Sports Act.
“After five years, Idaho’s law protecting women’s sports has finally reached the U.S. Supreme Court. Now, the ACLU wants to drop the case because they know the strength of our argument,” Labrador said. “But the legal arguments of one male athlete do not change the facts: Under Ninth Circuit precedent, girls across Idaho can still be forced to compete against boys. That’s not fair, it’s not safe, and it strips young women of equal opportunities. We’re urging the Court to affirm that states have the authority to preserve and protect women’s sports.”
Idaho’s filing outlines three reasons the Supreme Court should reject Hecox’s mootness claim and hear the case on the merits. First, the Attorney General argues that Hecox’s request violates a court-ordered stay, which prohibits any proceedings while the Supreme Court reviews the case. Second, Hecox remains enrolled at Boise State University and could resume competing in women’s sports, maintaining a legal interest in the outcome. Third, the filing says the Supreme Court has a responsibility to prevent parties from manipulating the judicial process to avoid potential unfavorable rulings.
The Supreme Court will decide whether to accept Hecox’s mootness claim or move forward with a ruling that could have nationwide implications for state laws regulating female athletics. If the Court finds the case moot, lower court rulings would likely be vacated, allowing Idaho’s law to take effect but leaving broader legal questions unresolved. If the Court hears the case, it could issue a definitive ruling on whether states can protect women’s sports based on biological sex.
Enacted in 2020, Idaho’s Fairness in Women’s Sports Act was the first law of its kind, establishing that female athletics should be reserved for biological females. Attorney General Labrador continues to defend the law amid ongoing legal challenges.
