Tim Walz let a biological male dominate girls' softball in Minnesota for three straight seasons – including a state championship shutout.
Now the Supreme Court just told him that's not protected by the Constitution.
And the man who watched it happen called the ruling "cruel."
The Governor Who Chose Trans Athletes Over Girls
Yesterday, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that states can protect women's sports for biological females.
It wasn't close, and it wasn't surprising.
Walz went to social media the moment the ruling dropped: "As the Supreme Court says states can be cruel to trans kids, my message is clear: Here in Minnesota, we stand with and value our trans neighbors and youth."
Minnesota state Sen. Julia Coleman fired back immediately.
"What's cruel is making a teenage girl, already uncomfortable in her own skin, change in a locker room next to a naked boy," Coleman posted. "What's cruel is letting our girls get the s— kicked out of them by biological males on the field and lose out on scholarships and more chances to compete. What's cruel is putting your base above female safety and opportunities."
https://twitter.com/iAnonPatriot/status/2072122756896813455?s=20
That's not a political talking point.
That's a description of what Walz actually allowed to happen in his state.
Marissa Rothenberger – a biological male – pitched for the Champlin Park High School girls softball team starting in 2023.
In the 2025 state championship, Rothenberger threw a complete-game shutout: 35 innings pitched across the postseason, one earned run, 27 strikeouts against girls who never had a chance.
One of the female players who lost to Champlin Park described what it's like to face that situation: "It's a mental battle knowing that he has an advantage in the sport that I grew up playing, making it hard to even want to hit against him."
The DOJ Already Told Him He Was Wrong
The Trump DOJ had been building its case against Minnesota for over a year.
The U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services formally found that Minnesota violated Title IX – concluding that allowing Rothenberger to compete "denies females the equal opportunities under Title IX that they deserve."
In March 2026, the DOJ filed a lawsuit against Minnesota directly.
Attorney General Pam Bondi was direct: "The Trump Administration does not tolerate flawed state policies that ignore biological reality and unfairly undermine girls on the playing field."
https://twitter.com/GrageDustin/status/2072085317352378525?s=20
Minnesota's response was to sue Trump first – a preemptive lawsuit from AG Keith Ellison claiming the executive orders protecting girls' sports were unconstitutional.
The Supreme Court just answered that argument.
Six justices – including Justice Kavanaugh writing for the majority – held that the laws protecting women's sports don't violate Title IX or the Equal Protection Clause.
The states had "important interests in promoting safety and competitive fairness," and limiting women's sports to biological females was the means of achieving them.
Even hormone therapy doesn't change the analysis – Kavanaugh specifically addressed that point.
Walz looked at all of that evidence, all of that legal history, and called it cruel.
Minnesota Already Knows What's Actually Cruel
That's probably wise, given that his approval rating has cratered to 39% – lower than Trump's 41% in a blue state where Democrats have dominated for years.
The fraud scandal – $350 million stolen from programs meant to feed children, a state fraud investigator who says he was pressured to bury evidence – has gutted his standing with voters.
Fifty-three percent of Minnesotans now disapprove of his job performance.
He announced in January he's done, and he's heading for the exits with one final message: the Supreme Court is wrong for protecting your daughters.
Minnesota's Republican gubernatorial candidates heard it differently.
Kendall Qualls was blunt: "Today, the Supreme Court ruled with common sense. When I'm governor, boys will play in boys' sports and girls will play in girls' sports. It's that simple."
Lisa Demuth added: "The Supreme Court upheld what Minnesotans and Americans all know – boys and girls are different and that Title IX means just that."
Walz told reporters Tuesday that he views the ruling as "a mixed bag" and that nothing will change in Minnesota.
The girl who lost her final high school softball game to a male pitcher in a 3-2 heartbreaker might have a different word for that.
Sources:
- Andrew Mark Miller, "Walz Post Calling SCOTUS Girls' Sports Ruling 'Cruel' Backfires Online," Fox News, July 1, 2026.
- Amy Howe, "Court Rules That States Can Exclude Transgender Athletes from Girls' and Women's Sports Teams," SCOTUSblog, June 30, 2026.
- "West Virginia v. B.P.J.," Supreme Court of the United States, June 30, 2026.
- "Tim Walz Approval Drops to All-Time Low, Falls Behind Trump in Minnesota," American Tribune, June 2026.
- "U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Find that Minnesota Violated Title IX," U.S. Department of Education, September 30, 2025.
- "Justice Department Sues to Stop Transgender Athletes in Minnesota School Sports," Washington Times, March 30, 2026.
- "Gov. Walz: Minnesota Will 'Continue to Treat Transgender Athletes with Dignity,'" FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul, June 30, 2026.
