When government officials enshrine lies into law, everyone suffers.
That’s why, when the Biden administration attempted to redefine “sex” to include “gender identity” in Title IX, officials in states nationwide stepped up to challenge the move.
The Title IX rewrite rejected the basic truth that every person is made male or female, and that God’s design cannot be changed. In practice, changing the definition of “sex” would gut equal opportunities for girls—the very purpose the decades-old law was designed to serve—by allowing males to compete in girls’ sports and enter their private spaces.
It’s a reality that Adaleia Cross knows all too well—and why she stood up to fight it.
Who is Adaleia Cross?
Adaleia Cross is a high school student and an athlete in West Virginia. She grew up in an active family and tried her hand at a variety of sports—soccer, dance, swimming, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and many others.
She pursued numerous sports throughout her childhood but eventually found that she loved track and field. She followed in her parents’ footsteps and began competing in shot put and discus events.
Adaleia excelled in track and field—and she loved it. But that quickly changed when officials started prioritizing ideology over Adaleia and other female athletes.
A male student compromises Adaleia’s privacy and fair competition
In Adaleia’s seventh-grade year, a male student—one grade below her and nearly two years younger—joined the girls’ track and field team.
The male student, known as BPJ, was allowed to compete on the girls’ team despite West Virginia’s Save Women’s Sports Act, after a ruling from the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals allowing this.
And while Adaleia initially could beat BPJ in both shot put and discus events, that all changed in the next school year.
“This student was much stronger [and] appeared to be going through the beginning phases of puberty,” said Holden Cross, Adaleia’s father.
By late spring that school year, BPJ had made tremendous advances in the sport, throwing 16 feet farther than he did at the start of the season. That’s almost unheard of in girls’ discus.
And it showed on the field. The student regularly took coveted spots in girls’ competitions, displacing female athletes more than 700 times—including top athletes on the team like Adaleia.
Before a big meet, Adaleia’s coach took her aside and broke the news that she had lost her spot to compete in the championship to BPJ.
“I just watched [Adaleia’s] drive and her will to want to be a part of the team completely drop,” said Abby Cross, Adaleia’s mother. But Adaleia’s struggles with a male competing on her girls’ team didn’t end on the field.
The girls were also forced to share a locker room with BPJ. Uncomfortable and wanting to preserve her privacy, Adaleia started changing in a separate girls’ restroom to avoid changing in front of a male.
Unfortunately, that didn’t stop the violations of Adaleia’s privacy and safety.
BPJ started making extremely inappropriate, vulgar comments toward Adaleia.
“[It happened] in our locker rooms and in the girls’ bathrooms…which is the worst place to hear it. That’s supposed to be my safe space, and it’s just not safe at all,” Adaleia said.
At first, she was afraid to speak up about the sexual harassment because she was worried about creating problems on her team. When she decided to tell her parents, they quickly reported it to the school. But nothing changed.
Adaleia stands up to protect girls like her
The Biden administration’s attempted rewrite of Title IX in 2024 could have meant more students—including, one day, Adaleia’s younger sister—could find themselves in the same situation as Adaleia.
After losing out on opportunities to compete, being forced to change in front of a male, and enduring sexual harassment, Adaleia knew she needed to speak up.
With the help of ADF, she intervened in a lawsuit, Tennessee v. Cardona, to fight the Title IX rewrite.
“I’m speaking out because I fear for my little sister and for girls across the country,” Adaleia said. “No girl should have to endure sexual harassment or feel uncomfortable and anxious at school. No girl should have to compete in an unsafe and unfair system in school. I just hope my voice helps others see the truth, because I don’t want this to happen to anyone else.”
Thankfully, Adaleia was successful. A federal district court in Kentucky blocked the Biden administration’s rule—completely invalidating it nationwide. This case was later cited by the Trump Administration when it issued an executive order in February 2025 protecting women’s sports.
The fight to save women’s sports continues
While Adaleia’s victory was massive for the protection of girls, the battle isn’t over yet.
The very case that enabled the male student to keep competing against girls like Adaleia in West Virginia is now at the U.S. Supreme Court this term. And with your help, ADF is standing with the state to challenge the lower court’s ruling.
The case, State of West Virginia v. B.P.J., will be heard alongside another case that ADF is involved in from Idaho, Little v. Hecox. Both cases concern state laws that protect women’s sports and private spaces.
A victory in these cases could help uphold similar laws in other states, a big step in protecting safety and fairness for girls all over the country. But it’s only possible through your generosity.
Your support fuels critical cases to defeat lies, defend truth, and advance freedom for everyone. Support brave clients like Adaleia with a gift today.
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