A family from Washington has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene in a case involving a teenage wrestler. Lower courts previously denied their request for the wrestler to compete without facing male athletes this season.
The case, filed by the Alliance Defending Freedom on behalf of K.M.K. and her mother, Stephanie Lynne Brown, requests an injunction while appealing in the case of K.M.K. v. Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA). The wrestler, identified as K.M.K., is known publicly as Kallie Keeler. She alleges being sexually assaulted by a transgender athlete during a match.
Keeler has been wrestling since she was four years old. Competing in the wrestling season was significant for her. She has not participated in a WIAA event since January, and she has expressed uncertainty about her return if she is paired against a male opponent without prior notice.
The family has filed a lawsuit alleging their daughter was sexually assaulted during a girls’ competition by a transgender athlete.
According to the application, Keeler was 15 when she competed for third place at the Lady Jag Kickoff on December 6, 2025, at Emerald Ridge High School. She and her mother claim they were unaware her opponent was male. They allege that her opponent penetrated her during the match. Afterward, another coach informed them that the opponent was male.
When Brown requested assurance that her daughter would not have to compete against a male without consequences, and wished to be notified beforehand, the district refused to provide such a guarantee. It did, however, offer forfeiture if Keeler was already aware of the opponent’s gender, maintaining that gender identity information remains confidential.
The application argues, “No girl should have to choose between playing the sports she loves and her safety.” They urge the Court to prevent the girl from having to wrestle a male opponent while the appeal is pending or, at least, to provide notice and permit opting out without penalty.
The defendants include the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, Superintendent Chris Reykdal, and the Puyallup School District. The opposing athlete and family are not part of the case.
A federal judge in Tacoma denied a preliminary injunction on August 23. The Ninth Circuit also denied an emergency injunction on September 25, stating the request was a mandatory injunction and found insufficient justification for relief before the season, which begins in mid-November. According to ADF, without an order, Keeler misses a season Title IX should protect.
The filing references the Supreme Court ruling on June 30 in West Virginia v. B.P.J., which allowed states to limit girls’ teams to biological females, and Mirabelli v. Bonta, a parental-rights ruling from March.
The U.S. Department of Education opened a Title IX investigation into the district in February. Two administrators from Rogers High School were later charged with not making a mandatory report. Prosecutors chose not to charge the opponent.
The district previously declined to comment, citing student privacy and litigation. Requests for comments on the Supreme Court application were also made to the WIAA, the Puyallup School District, and the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Jackson Thompson, a sports reporter for Fox News Digital, covers significant political and cultural sports issues with an investigative focus. His work has been referenced in federal government Title IX actions and major media outlets including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Associated Press, and ESPN.com.
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