Adaleia Cross’s Story

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 B.P.J., 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 B.P.J. 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, B.P.J. 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, beating female athletes more than 1,400 times combined—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 B.P.J.

“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.

The girls were also forced to share a locker room with B.P.J. 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.

B.P.J. also 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 stood with the state to challenge the lower court’s ruling.

The case, State of West Virginia v. B.P.J., was heard alongside another case that ADF is involved in from Idaho, Little v. Hecox, in January 2026. Both cases concern state laws that protect women’s sports and private spaces.

Praise God, the Supreme Court ultimately affirmed the rights of states to protect female athletes like Adaleia. The Court ruled 9-0 that Title IX allows states to protect female athletes like Adaleia. The Court also ruled 6-3 that the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment enabled states to protect women’s sports.

“This is a victory for every girl who refused to stay quiet in the face of injustice,” ADF CEO, President, and Chief Counsel Kristen Waggoner said after the ruling. “Men cannot be women, and no drug erases the male athletic advantage.”

Your support fuels critical cases like these to defeat lies, defend truth, and advance freedom for everyone. Support brave clients like Adaleia with a gift today.