A Washington state high school wrestler has escalated her Title IX lawsuit to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, seeking emergency safety protections ahead of the upcoming season after she says she was sexually assaulted during a match by a transgender opponent last winter. The case, brought by the Alliance Defending Freedom on behalf of the athlete (identified in court papers as K.M.K.) and her mother Stephanie Brown, challenges policies enforced by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, the state education office and the Puyallup School District, after lower courts twice declined to grant protective measures.

The alleged assault occurred on 6 December 2025 at a tournament match in Emerald Ridge High School, when K.M.K.'s opponent, a biological male competitor, allegedly touched her inappropriately during the bout; she says she allowed herself to be pinned to end the encounter. The family says they were not warned in advance that she would face a transgender opponent, and accuses school officials of a slow, inadequate response, alleging a 55-day delay before the matter was formally reported to child-welfare authorities. The appeal asks the Ninth Circuit to act by 25 September, before the new wrestling season begins.