Trending Now - Transgender Teen Athlete Prepares for Possible Final Season Amid Court Decision
WHO:
ABC News - Becky Pepper-Jackson, a transgender girl and high school athlete at Bridgeport High School in West Virginia.
ABC News - Heather Jackson, mother of Becky Pepper-Jackson.
ABC News - JB McCuskey, West Virginia Attorney General.
ABC News - Aubrey Sparks, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union’s West Virginia chapter.
ABC News - Patrick Morrisey, Republican Governor of West Virginia.
Newsweek - U.S. Supreme Court.
WHAT:
ABC News - Becky Pepper-Jackson has won both the discus and shot put in her first two meets of the 2026 track season.
ABC News - In 2024, five athletes from a rival school refused to compete alongside Pepper-Jackson, receiving a standing ovation at a news conference where West Virginia's then-Attorney General Patrick Morrisey announced the state's challenge to a federal appeals court ruling favoring her.
ABC News - At the 2025 state meet, a female sprinter wore a T-shirt stating, “Men don’t belong in women’s sports” while standing on the podium.
ABC News - Becky Pepper-Jackson is competing in her high school girls' track team and is focused on enjoying her time with friends.
ABC News - Pepper-Jackson took third place in the discus and eighth in the shot put at the 2025 West Virginia state meet.
ABC News - The U.S. Supreme Court is considering a ruling that could affect the ability of transgender girls to compete in girls' sports.
ABC News - If the court rules that state bans on transgender girls competing are legal, this track season may be Pepper-Jackson's last.
WHERE:
ABC News - Bridgeport High School, West Virginia.
ABC News - The state of West Virginia.
ABC News - Boise State University, Idaho.
WHEN:
ABC News - The Supreme Court is expected to make a decision by early summer 2026.
ABC News - In 2021, Pepper-Jackson challenged a law banning trans athletes from competing in female sports.
ABC News - The Supreme Court allowed Pepper-Jackson to continue competing in middle school in 2023.
WHY:
ABC News - West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey stated, "West Virginia’s law does not exclude anyone; it simply says biological boys will compete against boys, and biological girls will compete against girls."
ABC News - The West Virginia law states that biological boys will compete against boys and biological girls will compete against girls, according to Attorney General JB McCuskey.
ABC News - The case is significant as it addresses whether state bans on transgender girls competing violate the Constitution or Title IX.
HOW:
ABC News - Becky Pepper-Jackson has publicly identified as a girl since she was 8 years old and began taking puberty-blocking medication at the onset of puberty.
ABC News - Pepper-Jackson has been taking puberty-blocking medication since the onset of puberty.
ABC News - In sixth grade, Pepper-Jackson switched from distance running to field events based on her coach's advice.
(UPDATED April 17, 2026 23:11 UTC)
Becky Pepper-Jackson has made a strong start to the 2026 track season by winning both the discus and shot put in her first two meets. This comes after a challenging year in 2024 when five athletes from a rival school refused to compete alongside her, drawing significant media attention and support during a news conference led by West Virginia's then-Attorney General Patrick Morrisey. Attorney General JB McCuskey has emphasized that West Virginia's law aims to ensure that biological boys and girls compete in their respective categories, while Pepper-Jackson has identified as a girl since she was eight and has been on puberty-blocking medication since the onset of puberty.
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(UPDATED April 17, 2026 21:14 UTC)
Becky Pepper-Jackson, a transgender girl and high school athlete at Bridgeport High School in West Virginia, is currently competing on her school's girls' track team and recently placed third in the discus and eighth in the shot put at the 2025 state meet. The U.S. Supreme Court is set to make a decision by early summer 2026 on a case that could impact the ability of transgender girls like Pepper-Jackson to compete in girls' sports, following a West Virginia law that mandates biological boys compete against boys and biological girls against girls. If the court rules in favor of the state, this track season may be her last, as she has been taking puberty-blocking medication since the onset of puberty and previously challenged a law banning trans athletes from competing in female sports.