Becky Pepper-Jackson is the current leader shaping policy and public engagement in education and civil rights arenas. She has recently been in the news linked to court decisions on trans athlete protections and ongoing debates over gender in sports.
A transgender high school athlete from Jurupa Valley High School has continued to compete in California state track events. She won two events last year under a policy that elevated the next cisgender finisher, and this year the same rule is in place as debates over trans athletes persist nationwide.
The Supreme Court has upheld laws in West Virginia and Idaho banning transgender girls from participating in women’s teams at public schools and universities. The ruling, a 6-3 decision, could influence similar laws in 25 other states and shape the national debate on transgender rights in sports.