The family of a student in a viral video of a disturbing high school wrestling match with a transgender-identifying opponent has filed a lawsuit to end the policies at the school.
The alarming video showed the female student suddenly appear distressed during the match and yell to her mother for help.
“Despite mandatory reporter laws, officials ignored the incident until it became a national news story weeks later. Even now, they refuse to take it seriously,” the lawsuit states.
The student later claimed that the opponent had sexually assaulted her during the match. According to the lawsuit, she did not know she was competing with a transgender-identifying athlete during a December 2025 match at Rogers High School in Puyallup, Washington.
Pierce County prosecutors declined to prosecute the student due to insufficient evidence to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt. The principal and athletic director of the school face separate charges for failing to report the allegation to law enforcement officials within two months.
The school claims the individuals acted based on information available at the time and that an immediate investigation was launched after learning about the incident. The mother stated the school did nothing despite receiving the video evidence, only responding after national attention emerged.
“Despite mandatory reporter laws, officials ignored the incident until it became a national news story weeks later,” read the lawsuit. “Even now, they refuse to take it seriously — to deal with the assault, to reserve girls sports for girls, or even to give parents the necessary notice so they can keep their daughters safe.”
The family is represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom. On Tuesday, their attorneys appeared in court seeking an injunction to prevent the school from placing females in matches with biological males.
“Parents have a right to know if their child will be placed in an unsafe situation, like being on a wrestling mat with a male athlete,” said Hal Frampton of the Alliance Defending Freedom. “They deserve notice and the right to opt out.”
While some reports describe the alleged assault as “groping,” the lawsuit asserts that the victim’s vagina was digitally penetrated. Attorneys for the district state the incident is under investigation but dispute that Title IX protections were violated.
