NH school district settles transgender athlete protest lawsuit

USA Today · , USA TODAY · 2026-11-05 17:29 UTC

Each plaintiff was awarded $17.91 as part of the settlement, a reference to the year the country ratified the First Amendment.

A New Hampshire school district has settled with parents who were banned from school property and events after wearing wristbands to protest a transgender player's participation in a girls' soccer game in 2024, according to court records.

The Bow School District's risk pool will pay $275,000 in attorney's fees and $17.91 to each plaintiff, a reference to the year the country ratified the First Amendment.

The matter centers on a September 2024 soccer game, during which Anthony Foote handed out wristbands with "XX," a reference to female sex chromosomes, to attendees to protest the player's involvement. The school's athletic director, Michael Desilets, asked Foote to remove the wristband, and he complied after initially refusing, court records said. Another parent, Kyle Fellers, also initially refused to do so but complied after being told by a police lieutenant he "must remove the wristband or leave the game."

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