>> Continued From the Previous Page <<
At the time, Cross was an eighth grader. The male student was in seventh grade.
Her mother, Abby Cross, described the alleged incident in stark terms during an interview with Fox News Digital.
“[The trans athlete] was saying to her, coming up and saying to her, ‘I’m going to stick my d— in your p—- and also in your a–,'”
The Cross family reported the incident to school administrators and were assured that a full investigation would be conducted. But according to Adaleia, the process abruptly went silent.
“They told me they would do a full investigation into what I told them,” Adaleia said.
“And then, all of a sudden, it was like nothing else was happening, it was done.”
No disciplinary action was communicated to the family. No follow-up was provided. The alleged harassment left lasting consequences.
Adaleia eventually withdrew from track and field, a sport she loved, not once but twice. She avoided competition in middle school to escape the locker room situation and later quit again as a freshman when the same athlete reached high school. She has not competed in school sports for more than two years.
Another Athlete Describes Intimidation After Silent Protest
A second student, Emmy Salerno, shared her own disturbing experience. Salerno was a runner at Lincoln Middle School and found herself competing against the same transgender athlete.
On April 18, 2024, Salerno and four other girls refused to participate in a shot put event. Their protest was silent, but the response was swift. School officials disqualified their team from the next meet.
Salerno says the situation escalated beyond athletics.
“After we stepped out, it was an immediate personality change,” Salerno told Fox News Digital.
“He didn’t want to talk to me. He just wanted to stare at me, and just stare down.”
She recalled being followed and stared at during a local basketball game, leaving her fearful the encounter could turn violent.
“Is he gonna try to fight me?” Salerno said. “Is he going to try and sneak up behind me and punch me?”
Salerno also provided Fox News with a screenshot of a Snapchat post allegedly made by the trans athlete. The image showed a photo of Salerno with the caption:
“Reminder that she has more testosterone than me.”
The following season, Salerno chose to avoid competition altogether when that athlete was present, asking her coach to remove her from the lineup.
Democrats and the ACLU Stand Firm
The American Civil Liberties Union, which represents the transgender athlete, dismissed Cross’s allegations.
“Our client and her mother deny these allegations and the school district investigated the allegations reported to the school by A.C. and found them to be unsubstantiated,”
Despite the seriousness of the accusations, more than 130 congressional Democrats signed an amicus brief backing the transgender athlete. Among the signers were Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Nancy Pelosi, and Hakeem Jeffries.
Notably missing from the list were Chuck Schumer and John Fetterman, suggesting even some Democrats recognize the political risk.
Legal Stakes Rise as Sworn Testimony Emerges
West Virginia is being represented by Alliance Defending Freedom, which responded forcefully to the ACLU’s dismissal.
“Our client has sworn under oath and under penalty of perjury in numerous cases about the events that took place between her and the male athlete,”
That sworn testimony significantly raises the stakes. False statements under oath carry severe legal consequences.
The lawsuit at the center of the case was filed in July 2021 when the transgender athlete was just 11 years old. It blocked West Virginia’s Save Women’s Sports Act, a law designed to prevent biological males from competing in girls’ sports.
The injunction was upheld by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in April 2024. The Supreme Court agreed to review the case in July 2025.
Oral arguments will be heard on January 13, 2026.
West Virginia Attorney General John McCuskey has been clear about what is at stake.
“The Save Women’s Sports Act is about making sports fair and safe for all involved,” McCuskey said.
“Biological males can compete against biological males, but not against biological females.”
As the Supreme Court prepares to weigh in, two young women have refused to be silenced. Their stories may ultimately define the future of women’s sports in America.
