Politics news and discussion on TalkFuse.
Declaratory Judgment + $275K in Attorney Fees in Settlement of N.H. “XX” Wristbands Case
The Bow School District in New Hampshire has agreed to a judgment declaring that it violated the First Amendment rights of spectators who were barred from wearing pink “XX” wristbands at a girls’ football match. The settlement follows more than two years of litigation and provides $275,000 in legal fees and costs.
The wristbands were worn in September 2024 to protest a policy allowing a transgender girl to compete on the opposing team. Officials told the spectators to remove them or leave; play was stopped until one did, and two were later issued trespass orders. In August 2026, the First Circuit found the plaintiffs likely to succeed on their claim that the district discriminated by viewpoint, saying the passive protest fell short of harassment or disruption. The judgment protects the right to wear the wristbands at district sporting events, including on sidelines, in spectator areas or in car parks.
In short
- Bow schools agreed the wristband ban violated spectators’ rights.
- The settlement includes $275,000 in legal fees and costs.
- A court judgment protects wearing the wristbands at district sporting events.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The spectators’ wristbands expressed a political view about eligibility in girls’ sport, and the district’s demand that they remove them or leave could be seen as suppressing one side of a contested debate. The First Amendment protects peaceful expression, and the court found the passive protest likely did not amount to harassment or disruption; a school district should therefore need a strong, viewpoint-neutral reason to restrict it.
The case against
A school district has a responsibility to keep school sporting events safe and orderly, protect students from targeted or intimidating conduct, and manage disputes around a transgender pupil’s participation. Officials could reasonably argue that protest directed at a young athlete risked making the event hostile, even if it was passive, and that they needed room to respond before tensions escalated.
Explained simply
The First Amendment to the US Constitution protects freedom of speech, including some forms of protest. Public school districts must respect those rights, though they may set rules for safety and order at school events.
In this case, spectators wore pink wristbands marked “XX” to oppose a policy that allowed a transgender girl to play for the other team. School officials asked them to remove the bands or leave the match. The dispute centred on whether the district was enforcing event rules or restricting a particular viewpoint.
The Bow School District is the local public school authority, and the spectators challenged its actions in court. The case matters because it concerns how far schools can limit peaceful political expression at sporting events.