Feds: West Virginia transgender athlete ban violates law

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Justice has slammed a new West Virginia law that bans transgender athletes from competing in female sports. The department asserted in a court filing Thursday that it violates federal law. The department filed what is known as a statement of interest in a lawsuit challenging the ban. The DOJ says the law violates Title IX as well as the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. The lawsuit was filed last month by the American Civil Liberties Union, its West Virginia chapter and Lambda Legal on behalf of an 11-year-old transgender girl. She had hoped to compete in cross country in middle school.