Skip to main content

No. 24-38October Term 2025Decided Jun 30, 2026

Docket 24-38October Term 2025 (2025–2026)

Bradley Little, Governor of Idaho, et al., Petitioners v. Lindsay Hecox, et al.

The Court resolved the Idaho sports dispute, but the materials provided here do not reveal which side prevailed or how broadly the decision reaches.

Case status

Current stage
Decided
Latest event
Decision released Jun 30, 2026
Case AcceptedJul 3, 2025
Arguments HeardJan 13, 2026
Decision ReleasedJun 30, 2026
What it's about

A transgender woman challenges Idaho's Fairness in Women's Sports Act, which prohibits transgender girls and women from participating on female sports teams at public schools and universities. The case, brought by Lindsay Hecox who wanted to compete on Boise State's women's cross-country team, tests whether such bans violate the Equal Protection Clause.

Question presented

May a state, consistent with the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, categorically require sports participants to compete based on their biological sex, rather than gender identity?

Case path

United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit / Decision released Jun 30, 2026

Area

Civil Rights

Briefing

What it's about

The case asked whether Idaho may require athletes at public schools and universities to compete based on biological sex rather than gender identity, after Lindsay Hecox challenged the state's Fairness in Women's Sports Act. The Supreme Court issued a decision on June 30, 2026, but the provided materials do not state the outcome.

Vote

A decision was released on June 30, 2026, but the provided materials do not include the vote count or opinion lineup.

Impact

The decision matters to transgender students, schools, and colleges because it addresses who may join girls' and women's teams. A student athlete like Hecox, or a public university athletic department, may need to follow the Supreme Court's standard.

What's next

Lower courts, school systems, universities, and state officials will now apply the Supreme Court's rule to Idaho's law and similar disputes. Agencies and athletic programs will review eligibility policies, but the provided materials do not list any further orders.

What did the Supreme Court decide in Little v. Hecox?

The Court issued a decision on whether Idaho may require athletes to compete based on biological sex. The provided materials do not state which side won.

Who is affected by Bradley Little v. Hecox?

Transgender student athletes, public schools, colleges, and state officials are most directly affected. Team eligibility rules may change as courts and agencies apply the decision.

What happens next after Bradley Little v. Hecox?

Lower courts, schools, and athletic programs will implement the Supreme Court's rule in Idaho and similar cases. The provided materials do not describe any further orders.

Decision

Decision record

What the Court decided

The Court resolved the Idaho sports dispute, but the materials provided here do not reveal which side prevailed or how broadly the decision reaches.

Impact

The decision matters to transgender students, schools, and colleges because it addresses who may join girls' and women's teams. A student athlete like Hecox, or a public university athletic department, may need to follow the Supreme Court's standard.

Not official Court text.

Timing

Decided June 30, 2026

The Court released its decision 168 days after oral argument on January 13, 2026. The median for cases argued in January is 127 days.

Based on 30 merits cases argued in January since 1995.Argument and decision days