A federal judge in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania has dismissed a lawsuit brought by Quakertown Community High School athlete Aislin Magalengo, who claimed her civil rights were violated when she competed against a transgender girl at a cross-country meet.
Magalengo filed the suit in January against the Quakertown Community School District, Colonial School District in Plymouth Meeting, the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA), and several officials. She alleged that the presence of a transgender runner from Plymouth Whitemarsh High School cost her a victory and violated her rights under Title IX and the U.S. Constitution.
According to court documents, Magalengo confronted the transgender athlete after the race, telling her, “You are not a girl. You should not be racing against girls.” Her parents later asked school officials to remove the trans athlete and other transgender girls from competition.
Brian Laiacona, Quakertown’s athletic director, explained that PIAA rules allow school principals to decide whether a transgender athlete can compete on a given team. The meet in question took place before President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at banning trans girls from competing on girls’ teams. Although PIAA later amended its rules by changing the word “gender” to “sex,” the discretion for principals remained.
Judge Wendy Beetlestone dismissed most of Magalengo’s Title IX claims, finding she failed to show the law applied to PIAA or either school district and that she sought damages not available under Title IX. Claims against individual district officials were also dismissed because the decision to allow the Plymouth Whitemarsh athlete to compete was made on a case-by-case basis and did not qualify as an official policy.
Magalengo also argued her rights under the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause were violated. The court ruled that she had not shown purposeful discrimination, noting she was treated the same as any student assigned male at birth in that they were both allowed to compete in girls’ sports. The judge emphasized that the equal protection clause does not focus on whether equal treatment impacts different groups in different ways.
Some claims, such as the allegation that Colonial School District officials were responsible for discrimination, were dismissed without prejudice, allowing Magalengo the option to refile in the future. The court noted that Magalengo’s case was based on a race that took place in Quakertown, and she failed to prove Colonial had substantial control over the circumstances.
Officials from Quakertown and Colonial declined to comment on August 8. Magalengo’s attorney did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
For transgender students, this ruling underscores that legal challenges to their right to compete continue, even when courts ultimately uphold participation. Advocates encourage families and allies to stay informed, support trans youth in athletics, and push back against efforts to exclude them from school sports.
