The Supreme Court has ruled that states can bar transgender athletes from competing in women's sports, reshaping the legal landscape for school athletics.
The decision, handed down Tuesday, upholds laws in Idaho and West Virginia that limit school sports teams to athletes based on biological sex.
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The ruling is expected to affect similar laws already in place in more than two dozen states.
The legal challenge was brought by transgender student-athletes who argued the bans violated the Constitution's Equal Protection Clause and Title IX, the federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in education.
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Lower courts had blocked the restrictions, but the Supreme Court sided with the states.
The ruling aligns with a broader trend, as the International Olympic Committee and several international athletic federations have tightened eligibility rules for women's competition.
Supporters of the laws say they protect fairness in girls' and women's sports. Critics argue the bans unfairly target transgender students and exclude them from school athletics.
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The decision is also a major legal victory for President Donald Trump, whose administration backed the states before the Supreme Court.
Restricting transgender participation in women's sports has been a key policy priority for Trump since returning to the White House.
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With the ruling, states now have the Supreme Court's approval to keep such restrictions in place.
