A Jewish student was <a href="https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-899834#google_vignette">choked and strangled</a> by a classmate in a December 2025 antisemitic attack at a Boulder, Colorado, middle school, and a federal civil rights complaint has <a href="https://www.adl.org/resources/press-release/adl-files-title-vi-complaint-against-colorado-school-district-alleging">just been filed</a> alleging the district failed to adequately protect him, according to documents submitted to the U.S. Department of Education&#8217;s Office for Civil Rights.
The <a href="https://www.adl.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/2026-06/title-vi-complaint-boulder-valley-school-district-6-15-26-redacted.pdf">complaint</a>, filed last week by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) on behalf of the student and his family, alleges that Boulder Valley School District failed in its legal obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on national origin and has been interpreted to cover antisemitic harassment in schools receiving federal funding.
According to the filing, the student — identified only as Student A to protect his safety and privacy — was physically assaulted at Southern Hills Middle School by a peer who targeted him because he is Jewish. The complaint states:
<blockquote>
The harassment began with antisemitic remarks directed at Student A on the soccer field by classmates. As described further below, it escalated rapidly to include verbal slurs (including repeated use of the word “kike” directed at Student A), threats (including of gun violence), and Nazi salutes in 2024, and progressed to repeated physical assaults (including strangulation), antisemitic taunting in the lunch line, after school and in class (including organization of a game called “Jew touch tag” in PE, in which Jews are chased), and Holocaust-related mockery (including a student telling Student A in math class, “at least my grandma didn’t spend 8 years in hiding,” and asking Student A, “do you get scared when someone raises their hand?” and “do you get scared when someone counts to nine?”). 
The most violent incident occurred on December 15, 2025, when a classmate fashioned a Chromebook charging cord into a lasso, threw it around Student A’s neck without warning or provocation, and dragged Student A backward from a chair while calling Student A a “stupid kike” — conduct so severe it resulted in a police report. &#8230;
That incident was followed by a February 26, 2026, incident in which a former friend of Student A threatened to bring his father’s gun to school to shoot people and then stated in Student A’s Spanish class that “Hitler should have killed all the Jews when he had the chance”; a March 2026 assault in which a fellow student punched and kicked Student A multiple times; and an April 2026 incident in which a fellow student approached Student A while Student A was playing basketball alone at recess and spat in Student A’s face. </blockquote>
The ADL says the family notified school officials and district administrators each time they learned of incidents involving Student A, and they are prepared to provide email records corroborating those notifications.
Particularly troubling, the complaint alleges, is that a teacher who was present during the assault told a Boulder Police Department detective that she did not report the attack to school administrators. That admission is contained in a police report attached to the federal filing.
The district did conduct a bullying investigation, with a report dated December 15, 2025, and one student believed responsible received what was described as a week-long suspension — though the complainants say they are uncertain whether that student actually served the full suspension.
A second police report related to a separate incident has also been requested by the complainants, but as of the filing date they had not yet received a copy from the Boulder Police Department.
The complaint further cites the district&#8217;s own policies — including Boulder Valley School District policy governing student conduct — arguing that the school&#8217;s response fell short of its own stated standards, let alone federal civil rights requirements.
The filing comes amid a national surge in reported antisemitic incidents, including in K-12 schools. Civil rights advocates say physical assaults targeting Jewish students remain underreported and under-disciplined, and that schools have a binding legal obligation to respond meaningfully when harassment rises to the level of a hostile environment.

Jewish student

The Antisemitic Horror Story Jewish Student Faced Inside School Walls

antisemitism

Colorado

High School

Jewish

Clayton High School administration in North Carolina intervened as the school&#8217;s valedictorian went off-script during the graduation ceremony’s welcome speech on May 28.
High schooler Leen Hijaz, a Muslim student from Johnston County, North Carolina, abandoned her pre-approved speech and instead ranted about ICE and voiced her support for Palestine. 
“Before I leave the stage, I have one last thing to say. Every single person here has a voice, and we are privileged to have the freedom to use it when so many people around the world are struggling and suffering to be heard,” Hijaz said. 
“Whether it’s the millions suffering in Palestine, Sudan, Congo, Afghanistan and so many other countries around the world, or the families being torn apart by ICE. These are not distant issues,” Hijaz said. “They are happening right now as I speak.”
A video of the graduation ceremony spread on social media.
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&nbsp;
“My point is, we’re not given a voice to stay silent,” Hijaz said to cheers from some people in the crowd. The video also shows other graduates behind her look at each other in confusion as they realized Hijaz was going off-script. The school’s principal, Melissa Hubbard, then rushed onto the stage and stopped her from continuing her impromptu political speech. 
A day after the graduation, Hijaz took to <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@leenhijaz_/video/7645327665137798414?_r=1&amp;_t=ZT-96lijkzSKQ1">TikTok</a> complaining about her diploma being withheld and her experience as a Muslim-Arab in Johnston County, North Carolina. 
“If I submitted [the speech] to the school they would have disapproved it immediately because of how racist they are,” Hijaz said. “I really think if you think I did something wrong then there’s something wrong with you.” 
Johnston County Public Schools confirmed that Hijaz has been awarded her diploma. 
&#8220;School administrators intervened in order to maintain the integrity and focus of the program in real time,” school leadership <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/06/02/valedictorian-graduation-speech-interrupted-clayton-north-carolina/90370678007/">said</a> in a statement to USA TODAY. “This action was not about limiting a student’s voice, but about ensuring that a school-sponsored event remained consistent with its intended purpose.&#8221;

Graduation Ceremony

Valedictorian Uses Graduation To Attack ICE And Israel. It Doesn’t End Well.

Anti-ICE

Muslim

North Carolina

A Christian school in Vermont is set to receive more than half a million dollars in damages and attorneys&#8217; fees from the Vermont Principals&#8217; Association, partially settling a lawsuit after the school was punished when its girls&#8217; basketball team refused to play against a team with a transgender-identifying boy.
Mid Vermont Christian School will receive $566,000 under the agreement, more than three years after it was removed from the state athletic association for forfeiting the game.
The settlement follows a federal appeals court ruling that the school must be allowed to compete in games as the case proceeds.
“The government cannot punish religious schools — and the families they serve — by permanently kicking them out of state-sponsored sports simply because the state disagrees with their religious beliefs,” said David Cortman, senior counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, which represents the Christian school.
“For more than two years, state officials denied Mid Vermont Christian School a public benefit available to all other schools in Vermont just because it stood by the widely held, biblical belief that boys and girls are different,&#8221; he added. &#8220;There’s a price to pay for violating constitutional rights for Christian schools and students.”
In February of 2023, the Mid Vermont Christian School girls&#8217; basketball team forfeited their state tournament game against a team that allowed a boy who identified as a girl to play on the team, saying that playing against a male &#8220;jeopardizes the fairness of the game and the safety of our players.&#8221;
Following the forfeiture, the Vermont Principals’ Association retaliated against the Christian school by banning it from athletic tournaments, CBS News affiliate WCAX <a href="https://www.wcax.com/2026/04/29/vermont-principals-association-pay-566000-christian-school-transgender-athlete-dispute/">reported</a>.
Chris Goodwin, the team&#8217;s coach, said he will &#8220;always&#8221; fight for his players to compete in &#8220;fair and safe competitions.&#8221;
“I never thought I would be in court for simply adhering to my Christian and commonsense belief that boys and girls are different,” Goodwin said. “At Mid Vermont Christian School, we strive to exemplify biblical truth in and through everything we do.&#8221;
Attorneys with Alliance Defending Freedom continue to litigate the case, which also seeks to hold Vermont officials accountable for denying students at Christian schools access to the state&#8217;s tuition programs.
Multiple transgender-identifying male high school athletes have injured opposing female players in recent years. In 2022, North Carolina high schooler Payton McNabb was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/i-was-injured-by-a-trans-athlete-state-legislatures-need-to-do-more-to-protect-womens-sports">injured</a> when a trans-identifying boy spiked a volleyball in her face. McNabb suffered a concussion and a neck injury, which she said left her partially paralyzed on the right side of her body.
In 2024, a boy who identified as a girl <a href="https://www.boston.com/news/high-school-sports/2024/03/01/injuries-involving-trans-basketball-player-at-mass-school-spark-controversy/">injured</a> two girls&#8217; basketball players on the Collegiate Charter School of Lowell&#8217;s team during a game in Massachusetts. <a href="https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-13105605/Trans-basketball-high-school-game-injury-forfeit-Massachusetts.html?ns_mchannel=rss&amp;ns_campaign=1490&amp;ito=social-twitter_mailonline">Video</a> of one of the injuries shows the boy hurling a girl to the floor as they fight for the ball. The Collegiate Charter School of Lowell forfeited the game after the injuries.

Basketball

Christian School Scores Big Legal Win After Forfeiting Game Over Trans-Identifying Boy

Christians

Vermont

The brave high school principal who tackled a would-be school shooter was crowned prom king by his grateful students over the weekend.
Principal Kirk Moore is the man in charge at Pauls Valley High School in Oklahoma. Video footage of Moore being honored on Friday night has been getting rave reviews on social media. This was after the principal was captured on surveillance footage charging at a man with a gun on the high school campus April 7. Moore was shot in the leg as he disarmed the attacker, who was then arrested.
No students were harmed.
“Ladies and gentlemen, our king,” an announcer can be heard saying at the Pauls Valley high school prom as students began cheering and giving him high fives. The DJ played the Nickelback song “Hero,” which was featured in the live action version of “Spider-Man” (2002).
The song’s chorus, “And they say that a hero can save us / I’m not going to stand here and wait,” played as Moore’s crown was placed on his head.
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On April 7, former Pauls Valley High School student Victor Hawkins, 20, pointed a gun at a student in the entryway and pulled the trigger, but his firearm malfunctioned and he ducked behind a nearby vending machine in order to clear it. When he stepped out again, he fired at another student and missed.
Upon hearing the commotion and the gunfire, Principal Moore came out of his office as Hawkins fired again. Moore confronted the shooter directly and wrestled the firearm away, which is when he was shot in the leg. He and his assistant principal restrained Hawkins by lying on top of him, keeping him that way until law enforcement arrived.
Hawkins later stated that he had intended to kill Principal Moore specifically, and that he’d “wanted to conduct his own school shooting like the Columbine shooters did.”
“It doesn’t surprise me the actions that he took, but it is amazing, the actions that he took,” Don May, Pauls Valley’s police department chief, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/oklahoma-high-school-principal-saved-kids-lives-tackling-gunman-shot-rcna331866">told</a> NBC News. “There’s not a doubt in my mind that he saved kids’ lives.”
Moore told NBC in a statement that he appreciated the “outpouring of love and support” he received following the event.
“Like so many educators around the country, we prepare for these events through training and careful assessment of the threats,” Moore told the outlet. “I am grateful that my instincts and training, as well as God’s hand, were available to me.”
Virginia Kruta contributed to this report.

Kirk Moore

Hero Principal Who Risked It All To Stop Shooter Gets Moment He’ll Never Forget

Crime

Oklahoma

School Shooting

U.S.

Principal Kirk Moore leapt into action when an armed former student walked into his school on Tuesday and opened fire, sustaining a bullet wound to the leg as he worked to disarm and then restrain him.
Moore, principal of Pauls Valley High School in Oklahoma, was the only person injured when former student Victor Hawkins, 20, entered the school on Tuesday afternoon armed with two semi-automatic handguns and immediately told everyone to &#8220;get on the ground.&#8221;
According to local NBC affiliate <a href="https://kfor.com/news/local/affidavit-pauls-valley-school-shooting-suspect-inspired-by-columbine-tried-to-shoot-multiple-students-before-shooting-principal/">KFOR</a>, Hawkins pointed a gun at a student in the entryway and pulled the trigger, but his firearm malfunctioned and he ducked behind a nearby vending machine in order to clear it. When he stepped out again, he fired at another student — but he missed, and the student put his hands in the air and asked him not to shoot again.
Hawkins, according to the report, then lowered his gun and told both students to get out — and they ran for the exit.
Upon hearing the commotion and the gunfire, Principal Moore came out of his office — and Hawkins fired again. Moore confronted the shooter directly and wrestled the firearm away, but took a bullet to the leg in the process. He and his assistant principal restrained Hawkins by lying on top of him, and were able to keep him restrained until law enforcement arrived.
Moore was flown to Oklahoma University Health in Oklahoma City, where he was treated for a gunshot wound to his leg and is expected to make a full recovery.
Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) investigators interviewed the suspect, who said that his intent had been to shoot students, members of the faculty, and eventually himself. The firearms — which he had stolen from a closet — and the truck he had driven to the school belonged to his father.
In the interview, Hawkins also stated that he had intended to kill Principal Moore specifically, and that he&#8217;d &#8220;wanted to conduct his own school shooting like the Columbine shooters did.&#8221;
Hawkins was arrested and <a href="https://www.koco.com/article/victor-hawkins-pauls-valley-high-school-shooting-columbine-court/70966929">charged</a> with shooting with intent to kill, two counts of pointing a firearm and two counts of unlawful carry. He was booked at the Garvin County Jail, where he is being held on $1 million bond.
&#8220;Principal Moore acted bravely to protect students’ lives,” Gov. Kevin Stitt (R-OK) said. &#8220;Sarah and I are praying for his quick recovery. I’m thankful for the swift response from law enforcement and school staff, and I’m grateful no students were harmed.&#8221;

Pauls Valley High School

A Former Student Walked In Armed For A Massacre. Only His Principal Stood In The Way.

Armed Former Student Says Columbine 'Inspired' Him, But Principal Has Other Plans

Violent Crime

A high school teacher in Texas was shot by a student on Monday, and the 15-year-old boy fatally shot himself, according to authorities.
The shooting occurred at Hill Country College Preparatory High School in Comal County, which sits just north of San Antonio. The school was placed on lockdown after the male student shot a female teacher, the Comal County Sheriff&#8217;s Office said.
The teacher was transported to a hospital, but her condition has not been disclosed as of early Monday afternoon. Authorities said the student died at the scene.
&#8220;We know this is incredibly difficult to hear. What we can tell you is this situation is contained, and there is no ongoing threat to students,&#8221; the sheriff&#8217;s office said.
Students were transported to Bulverde Middle School, which is just over three miles south of the high school where the shooting occurred. The students were reunited with their parents. Comal County Sheriff Mark Reynolds later on Monday that the shooter&#8217;s parents discovered that their son was the shooter at the reunification site.
&#8220;Law enforcement remains on campus as the investigation continues, which is why the school will stay on lockdown for now,&#8221; the sheriff&#8217;s office said in an update at 11:40 a.m. CT. &#8220;We understand how scary this has been for families and our entire community. Thank you for your patience, and for helping us share accurate information. We will continue to keep you updated as we learn more.&#8221;
The Comal County sheriff <a href="https://www.facebook.com/COMALCOUNTYSO">said</a> at a press conference Monday afternoon that &#8220;this situation was contained very, very quickly,&#8221; and multiple different law enforcement agencies responded to the shooting.
Hill Country is a prestigious high school that has top ratings in its math, science, and language arts studies, according to its <a href="https://hccphs.comalisd.org/apps/spotlightmessages/10817">website</a>. Students at Hill Country have the opportunity to receive their high school diplomas, along with an Associate of Science degree with an Industry Based Certification. Sheriff Reynolds said there were around 250 students at Hill Country on Monday who were safely transported to the reunification site.
This is a developing story and will be updated as new information comes out.

Hill Country College Preparatory High School

Student Dead After Shooting Teacher At Texas Prep School

Shooting

Texas

A high school principal in Spring Township, Pennsylvania, is drawing national attention after a viral video showed him confronting dozens of students who walked out of class to protest federal immigration policies.
In a tense exchange on Thursday captured on camera, Daniel Weber of Wilson High School told the group that while they have the right to their opinions, those rights do not grant them the authority to bypass school safety protocols or skip class.
The incident began when <a href="https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/berks/wilson-hs-students-face-disciplinary-action-for-walkout-protest/article_9a3cba57-624c-4606-a824-6c810e374532.html">roughly 60 students</a> left the building without authorization to stage a demonstration against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The walkout followed a series of discussions between students and the Wilson School District about a possible sanctioned protest. Although administrators had considered approving the event, the district eventually canceled it after being told the student-led demonstration was no longer planned.
When students decided to proceed with the walkout anyway, Weber met them outside, where several were seen carrying Mexican flags.
“If you go back to class, then we’re good. If you stay out here, we will get your names, and you will be suspended. Okay?” Weber stated. “That is your option at this point, because you are operating outside the bounds of what was granted. That event was canceled. You left school without permission. Your rights do not supersede the school. So if you understand that, that is your option. If you wish to return, Dr. Damiani will let you in that door over there. If not, I will be getting your names; you will be suspended. Okay? Those are your options. All right? Your rights do not exceed that of the school.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BREAKING &#8211; A Pennsylvania principal, Daniel Weber of Wilson High School, is receiving widespread recognition after shutting down an anti-ICE walkout at his school by threatening suspension for all students involved. <a href="https://t.co/6d6IclC1iW">pic.twitter.com/6d6IclC1iW</a>
— Right Angle News Network (@Rightanglenews) <a href="https://twitter.com/Rightanglenews/status/2024504490297090147?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2026</a></blockquote>
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In a statement, a spokesperson for the Wilson School District clarified that the discipline was not a reaction to the students’ political viewpoints, but rather a matter of safety and procedure, <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2026/02/19/watch-principal-lay-down-the-law-to-students-on-anti-ice-walkout/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">stating</a>:
<blockquote>
The walkout occurred after the District was informed that a student-led demonstration was not planned, which limited our ability to plan for student supervision and safety. When students left their classrooms and the school building without authorization, staff accompanied them simply to ensure student safety and order. Students were not, and are not, disciplined for expressing their viewpoints. Any consequences associated with this situation are based solely on violations of established school procedures, including leaving class or the building without permission and failing to follow staff directions.
</blockquote>
The incident at Wilson High School comes amid a broader wave of student-led anti-ICE protests across the country, including recent mass walkouts in the Chicago suburbs.
“Students from Downers Grove North and Downers Grove South High Schools left their schools around 12:45 p.m. and converged near the downtown train station, chanting ‘ICE out and carrying signs calling for change. Hundreds of students from schools in northwest suburban Carpentersville also walked out of class to protest ICE operations,” NBC Chicago <a href="applewebdata://6D09A505-55ED-4AAC-A562-A361BA57C906/v">reported</a>.

Ice Police Law Enforcement – Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Agents

Principal Faces Off With Anti-ICE Walkout Students, Issues Ultimatum

anti-ICE protests

Pennsylvania

High school student filling out test answers with pen

San Francisco Banned ‘Racist’ Algebra A Decade Ago. The Results Are Now In.

San Francisco Banned 'Racist' Algebra A Decade Ago. The Results Are Now In.

Blacks

College

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Education

Mathematics

Matt Walsh

Opinion

Public Schools

Teenagers

Violence

Whites

A new report details a serious allegation of sexual assault and a subsequent breakdown in institutional oversight within Washington&#8217;s Puyallup School District. The story centers on Kallie Keeler, a 16-year-old female sophomore wrestler at Rogers High School who has competed in the sport since early childhood.
During a wrestling match on December 6, Keeler competed in the 190-pound weight class against an opponent from Emerald Ridge High School. Video from the bout appears to show Keeler in visible distress. According to her testimony, the opponent, a transgender-identifying boy, forcefully inserted his fingers into her private area during a move, causing her to feel violated and disoriented. Keeler later said she allowed herself to be pinned in order to end the match and escape the situation.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
16-year-old Kallie Keeler didn&#8217;t even realize she was wrestling a boy. She didn&#8217;t find out until after she says he forcefully pushed his fingers into her vagina. The Puyallup (WA) School District is accused of burying her complaint – now there&#8217;s now a criminal investigation. <a href="https://t.co/4LRo0ft0wI">pic.twitter.com/4LRo0ft0wI</a>
— Brandi Kruse (@BrandiKruse) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrandiKruse/status/2021052492180840920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“I didn&#8217;t really know what to do or how to handle that situation. I just wanted the match to be over,” Keeler said.
Immediately after the match, Keeler told her mother what she said had occurred and attempted to locate her coach. It was only afterward, she said, that a coach from a different school informed her that her opponent had been permitted to compete in the girls&#8217; division despite being a biological male. Keeler expressed a sense of double violation: first by the alleged physical assault, and second by the realization that she had been tricked into competing against a male athlete in a high-contact sport without her knowledge or consent.
To assess whether the contact could have been accidental, reporter Brandi Kruse consulted wrestling experts with decades of experience. After reviewing the video, the experts concluded that the position executed did not require the type of contact alleged. They noted that in similar situations, a wrestler typically grips the opponent&#8217;s thigh or knee rather than making prolonged contact in a prohibited area.
The most significant administrative issue centers on the Puyallup School District’s response. Despite Keeler reporting the incident immediately and her parents emailing coaches, the district reportedly took no formal action for nearly two months. This delay came despite Washington state law requiring school officials to report suspected sexual assault to law enforcement within 48 hours.
The district did not report the incident to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office until January 30, one day after the media contacted the district for comment. The Sheriff’s Office has since confirmed that an active criminal investigation is underway. Critics have accused district officials of remaining silent in order to protect what they describe as &#8220;radical gender ideology&#8221; at the expense of student safety and state law. Keeler continues to advocate for policy changes, asserting that biological males should not compete in women&#8217;s strength-based sports.

2025 NCAA Division I Men’s Wrestling Championship

Betrayed On The Mat: Teen Wrestler Says She Was Sexually Assaulted By Trans-Identifying Opponent

transgender athlete

Washington

Wrestling

When hundreds of students across the country walked out of class last week to protest ICE, the scene felt uncomfortably familiar. The chants, the certainty, and the urgency to declare a side reflected a pattern my generation repeats during nearly every political moment: strong emotion paired with limited understanding. Watching it unfold as a high school student, the issue appeared larger than a single protest. The walkouts exposed an education system that failed to teach students how the government functions — or how federal law enforcement actually operates.
From Georgia to California, students are walking out of class demanding that ICE be “removed” from their communities. In practice, for many of my peers, these walkouts function less as political statements and more as an excuse to miss class. At Lakeside High School in Georgia — where many of the protest videos originated — approximately 1,500 of the school’s roughly 2,200 students participated in an organized walkout protesting ICE. That would suggest that more than half the student body is so politically engaged that they are willing to sacrifice instructional time for a policy cause — an assumption undermined by the fact that fewer than 40% of Americans ages 18-19 vote.
For the small minority of students who genuinely care, the protests offer an opportunity to join a cause they assume is morally righteous. For all participants, however, these walkouts rest on an incomplete — and often incorrect — understanding of what ICE actually does and who holds authority over immigration policy.
The collapse of civic education in K–12 schools has produced widespread confusion about how the federal government functions. Many students believe ICE writes immigration law rather than enforces statutes passed by Congress. Others assume a president can simply suspend laws at will, or that public outrage alone can override the legislative process and reshape federal policy.
What no one has taught my peers is that Congress — not ICE, and not the White House — writes immigration law. Every administration, including President Trump’s, is obligated to enforce the laws Congress passes.
This confusion among students is not a failure of intelligence. It reflects an education system that avoids political controversy at all costs. Teachers are warned not to “take sides,” administrators steer clear of any topic that might provoke backlash, and students grow up believing that discussing the law or governance is dangerous. Instead of learning how the government functions, students learn how to talk around it.
This silence shapes how my generation engages with politics. Only a few miles from my Long Island high school, Generation Z played a decisive role in electing a socialist mayor in America’s most capitalist city. Many of those voters were never taught about the historical consequences of socialism — the collapse of economies, the erosion of democratic institutions, and the human suffering that follows. Those lessons are treated as too political for classrooms. The result is a generation making political choices without understanding the ideas being supported.
Students are not avoiding dialogue because of apathy. They avoid it because schools have trained them to fear disagreement. When issues such as immigration, abortion, or Israel arise, classrooms go quiet — not from a lack of opinion, but from concern over social and academic consequences.
Before becoming a nationally syndicated columnist, I hesitated to speak openly in classrooms. I rewrote comments, withheld arguments, and waited for safer moments to share my views. Now, I voice those perspectives in front of millions of readers, fully aware of the consequences. But even with all the pushback, my openness has not only sharpened my passion for politics but produced an impact far greater than I ever anticipated.
The danger of silence becomes clear during moments like these walkouts. When students protest without understanding what they want to change or how change occurs, it reveals how unprepared they are for civic participation. Informed activism cannot exist without civic knowledge.
Restoring serious civic education remains the only path forward. Students should learn not only which policies exist, but why they exist. They should understand how Congress, the courts, and federal agencies interact. Schools should encourage substantive debate rather than discourage it. Avoiding discomfort leaves students unprepared for the responsibilities of citizenship — and for the world they are about to enter.
* * *
Gregory Lyakhov is a nationally syndicated columnist and podcast host, regularly appearing on national television to discuss education policy, U.S. politics, and public affairs.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

College Students Walkout In Protest Against ICE In Texas

The ICE Walkouts Prove My Generation Wasn’t Taught How Government Works

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Leftists

Protests

Students

Tomorrow, the Supreme Court will hear a case about trans-identifying boys participating in girls’ sports. A West Virginia law is at the center of the hearing.
The Daily Wire has been at the forefront of the battle over gender ideology. Exhibit A: Matt Walsh’s groundbreaking documentary What Is A Woman?
It’s one thing for an adult to fight the good fight and entirely another for an eighth-grade girl to take a stand.
They say this case will affect laws in 27 states. But it’s already directly affected the life of one young girl in West Virginia.
Here she is in her own words. — Joel Kneedler
* * *
Eighth grade. The year when most girls are making core memories with friends and preparing for that exciting, albeit scary, transition to high school. But for me, that year was frustrating and uncomfortable.
As a young female athlete, I lost out on the opportunity to compete in West Virginia’s Mid-Mountain Championship track-and-field meet and had to endure sexually harassing comments from a male athlete who was allowed to join the girls’ team at my middle school.
Now, I’m 17 years old and eagerly looking to the U.S. Supreme Court as it hears — for the first time — why it should protect female athletes and affirm the biological reality that boys and girls are different.
<div id="attachment_1026433" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1026433" class="size-large wp-image-1026433" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/West-Virginia-II-864x576.jpg" alt="Credit: Adaleia Cross." width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/West-Virginia-II-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/West-Virginia-II-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/West-Virginia-II-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/West-Virginia-II.jpg 900w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Credit: Adaleia Cross.</div>
The Court is considering two cases: <a href="https://adflegal.org/case/bpj-v-west-virginia-state-board-education/?utm_source=dailywire&amp;utm_medium=oped">one</a> being litigated by Attorney General JB McCuskey of my home state of West Virginia and <a href="https://adflegal.org/case/little-v-hecox/?utm_source=dailywire&amp;utm_medium=oped">another</a> led by Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador. Both states are joined by legal counsel from Alliance Defending Freedom, which has represented me in other cases. These states enacted laws to restore common sense, fairness, and safety in women’s sports. Shortly afterward, however, activists who believe that boys should be able to compete against girls challenged both laws. The lawsuit in my state was brought on behalf of the male athlete competing on my girls’ track-and-field team.
That athlete displaced 423 different girls 1,100 times and took 57 medals from them. Those young women will never get those opportunities back. And that’s just one athlete. Other girls and women across the country, from middle school to college to the Olympics, continue to tell their stories of bravely choosing to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-female-fencer-and-trans-supporting-usa-fencing-head-face-off-at-heated-doge-hearing">forfeit games</a> or matches in defense of biological truth. Or they talk about the heartache of losing to males who take roster spots and stand on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cheated-betrayed-and-violated-riley-gaines-reflects-on-journey-to-protect-girls-sports?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98Cheated%2C+Betrayed%2C+And+Violated%E2%80%99%3A+Riley+Gaines+Reflects+On+Journey+To+Protect+Girls+Sports">winner podiums</a> meant for girls.
Until April 2023, I was in the top three on my team for discus in both seventh and eighth grade. I was usually in the top three or four for shot put as well. But that changed when the male started beating me.
It felt strange to be kicked out of my events because I had always gotten to compete before. I felt angry and discouraged that a male athlete took my spot. But I also felt like I couldn’t say anything about it. If I complained, I was made to feel like the problem for feeling uncomfortable and recognizing the unfairness. I felt like I had to suck it up and live with it. I felt unheard and unseen.
It’s extremely frustrating to know that no matter how hard I work, I will not be able to throw farther than the male athlete. Being excluded from a competition before it even begins is discouraging; I am obviously not as strong and athletic as most boys my age. It makes me so angry that I do not even have a chance to win. I want to scream, “Why am I even here?”
In fact, I’ve decided not to compete in track and field in high school because of the male athletes’ participation. 
It’s frustrating that I have to give up the sport I love — and excel at — because school officials have allowed males to compete with the girls. A male’s belief about his gender doesn’t erase the physical advantages over females.
Losing opportunities to compete at higher levels is very frustrating, but even worse was having to endure the athlete’s sexual, vulgar comments directed at me. Not to mention having to share a locker room. No girl should be forced to change in front of a boy or share such intimate spaces with the opposite sex.
In sports, biology matters. In life, it does too.
Gender ideology is full of lies that hurt real people. Believing that a male can erase physical differences with drugs impacts so much more than just girls’ sports. Women deserve their own spaces. Men don’t belong in women’s showers, restrooms, locker rooms, overnight school trips, prisons, or shelters.
All this weighs heavily on my heart, not just for me, but for my little sister, who is an incredible athlete.
<div id="attachment_1026429" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1026429" class="size-large wp-image-1026429" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/Untitled-design-14-864x576.jpg" alt="Credit: Adaleia Cross." width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/Untitled-design-14-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/Untitled-design-14-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/Untitled-design-14-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/Untitled-design-14.jpg 900w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Credit: Adaleia Cross.</div>
It’s not true that a man can be a woman. If we want a society that respects women, we must accept that reality. Title IX was designed to guarantee equal opportunity for women. We can’t go backward. 
 
I may only be one voice from West Virginia, but I know I stand on the shoulders of trailblazers who have championed women’s rights for years. And today, I join a new chorus of women — we’re young and paying attention. We’re also grateful for this incredible opportunity to ask the Supreme Court to listen to our stories and allow states to defend biological reality, fairness, and female athletes.
 * * * 
 
Adaleia Cross is a West Virginia high school student.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
* * *
<h3>WATCH: Matt Walsh’s “What Is A Woman?” on DailyWire+</h3>
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/what-is-a-woman?elementPosition=3&amp;row=6&amp;rowHeadline=Featured&amp;rowType=Portrait+Show+Carousel"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-805851" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/10/MixCollage-01-Oct-2024-04-20-PM-2436-1024x576.jpg" alt="What is a Woman?" width="1024" height="576" /></a>

MixCollage-12-Jan-2026-08-52-AM-2830

I’m One Of The Girls Title IX Was Meant To Protect

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President Donald Trump revealed plans this week for a new nationwide athletic competition dubbed the “Patriot Games,” a four-day event set for next year that will feature elite high school athletes from every state and U.S. territory. The announcement came alongside the launch of &#8220;Freedom,&#8221; an organization tasked with coordinating celebrations marking the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary.
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According to Trump, the Patriot Games will bring together two standout athletes from each state — one male and one female — to compete in a slate of sporting events designed to showcase excellence, patriotism, and fair competition. The president framed the event as both historic and culturally significant, emphasizing that it would reflect his administration’s broader push to protect women’s sports.
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Trump said in a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxdWW2CiB_8">video announcement</a>: “Frankly, you&#8217;ll never see anything like it, and you&#8217;ll never see anything like it again. In the fall, we will host the first-ever Patriot Games, an unprecedented four-day athletic event featuring the greatest high school athletes, one young man and one young woman from each state and territory. But I promise there will be no men playing in women&#8217;s sports. You&#8217;re not going to see that. You&#8217;ll see everything but that.”
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The comments echo Trump’s long-standing opposition to allowing biological males to compete in female athletic divisions, an issue that has become a defining cultural flashpoint. His administration has repeatedly moved to restrict transgender-identifying men from competing in women’s sports.
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The Patriot Games will be part of a larger slate of events planned to commemorate the nation’s milestone anniversary. As The Hill <a href="https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/5655553-trump-patriot-games-2026/">reported,</a> those celebrations will also include a “Great American State Fair” on the National Mall featuring exhibits from all 50 states, scheduled from June through July; a major Independence Day celebration complete with fireworks and a military flyover; and a high-profile Ultimate Fighting Championship event slated to take place at the White House.
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Trump said the festivities are meant to be both celebratory and unifying. “People are going to have a good time,” he said, noting that recent events honoring the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps anniversaries were just the beginning.
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With the Patriot Games, Trump is pitching a blend of athletic competition, national pride, and cultural clarity — positioning the event as a one-of-a-kind spectacle that aligns sports with what he describes as common-sense American values.
Trump’s announcement quickly drew loose comparisons to The Hunger Games, a dystopian novel set in a future America where the government forces young people from different districts into a televised fight to the death until only one survives.
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Trump Launches ‘Patriot Games’ To Showcase Top High School Athletes From Every State

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