Dont ComplyReason's Volokh Conspiracy, citing the Institute for Free Speech, which litigated the case, reports that the Bow School District in New Hampshire settled a lawsuit by parents and a grandfather who were told to remove pink "XX" wristbands at a September 2024 girls' soccer game. The plaintiffs wore them to protest a transgender player on the opposing team. According to the report, a referee halted play until one spectator removed his wristband, and officials later issued trespass orders against two plaintiffs. In August 2026 the First Circuit found the plaintiffs likely to succeed on a viewpoint discrimination claim, saying no evidence showed harassment or disruption. The settlement includes a judgment declaring a First Amendment right to silently wear the wristbands at district events, plus $275,000 in attorneys' fees and costs. The report gives no district response.
Why it matters
The judgment, which binds the district and its Board of Education even if policies change, establishes that the district violated the plaintiffs' speech rights. Public money will cover $275,000 in fees and costs.
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