Adaleia Cross, who told Fox News Digital she is now a high school student, alleges a transgender student sexually harassed her in the girls’ locker room at Bridgeport Middle School during the 2022-23 school year. The Cross family says the episode led Adaleia to step back from sports and extracurriculars. The ACLU provided a statement denying the allegations attributed to its client, and attorneys for the Cross family with the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) say Adaleia has made sworn statements about the events. Fox News Digital sought school investigation records from the Harrison County School District but reports it has not received those documents.
What Adaleia Cross says about trans athlete locker room harassment
Cross alleges the behavior began after a transgender student joined the girls’ team while they were in middle school. According to the Cross family’s account to Fox News Digital, the alleged comments in the locker room included explicit and threatening language directed at Adaleia and other girls. The family says they reported the episode to school officials at the time.
The Cross family and their attorneys say Adaleia withdrew from the sport she loved and ultimately quit three extracurricular activities because of the emotional impact. They told reporters she lost friendships and experienced strained relationships with some classmates following the episode.
Responses from ACLU and ADF
The ACLU provided a statement to Fox News Digital denying the allegations tied to its client and saying the Harrison County School District investigated reports and found them unsubstantiated, according to the organization. The ACLU reiterated its position that it defends students’ rights under Title IX.
Attorneys with Alliance Defending Freedom representing the Cross family said Adaleia has sworn under oath in legal filings about the events and that she stepped away from school sports and activities for her safety and well-being. ADF framed the family’s account as testimony offered under penalty of perjury in related legal matters.
Those competing statements, including the ACLU’s denial and ADF’s account of sworn statements, leave core facts contested in the absence of independent school records.
Supreme Court ruling and timing
On June 30, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision in the West Virginia women’s sports case that, as reported by Fox News Digital, allows schools to base eligibility for girls’ and women’s sports on biological sex. The ruling reversed earlier federal-court interpretations in cases from West Virginia and Idaho that had permitted some transgender girls to compete on girls’ teams. The Cross family said the timing mattered because the student they identified had won a girls’ state shot-put title in May, weeks before the Supreme Court decision.
According to the Cross family’s account to Fox News Digital, that result heightened tensions among some teammates and classmates who had trained to compete. Those characterizations are allegations reported by the family and their attorneys.
Investigation status and missing records
Fox News Digital requested documentation and clarification from the ACLU and the Harrison County School District about whether a formal investigation took place and what its findings were. The ACLU’s public statement asserts the district investigated and found the reported allegations unsubstantiated. Fox News Digital reports it has not received copies of any investigation records or a response from the Harrison County School District confirming what steps were taken or why the Cross family says they did not receive follow-up.
Adaleia and her parents told reporters they were told a full investigation would occur but that they did not receive notification of results or any apparent disciplinary action. Because the district has not provided the requested records to Fox News Digital, questions remain about the scope of any inquiry, who was interviewed and the evidence relied on to reach a conclusion.
Impact on Cross and girls’ locker room safety
Adaleia alleges the episode cost her meaningful parts of the school experience: she says she stopped participating in sports and extracurriculars and lost friendships she had maintained for years. She also described instances she said made her feel isolated and treated differently by some peers and a former teacher after she and her family raised concerns with school staff.
The account touches on broader debates about Title IX, school safety and the rights of transgender students. Supporters of the Cross family argue that girls deserve private, protected spaces and that schools must act decisively when students report harassment. Advocates for transgender students, including the ACLU in its statement, emphasize protections from discrimination and urge careful balancing of competing rights.
Officials and advocates continue to disagree on policy and practice, and the Supreme Court ruling will likely shape how school districts address eligibility and safety complaints going forward. In this reporting, several factual points remain unverified in independent documents; readers should consider those gaps when assessing competing accounts.
Source attribution
This report is based primarily on Fox News Digital’s interview with Adaleia Cross and public statements provided to Fox News by the ACLU and Alliance Defending Freedom. Fox News Digital sought records and comment from the Harrison County School District regarding a school investigation but reports it has not received the requested documents or a response. Original reporting: Fox News Digital.
Where possible, this article attributes claims as allegations to the Cross family and their attorneys, and notes the ACLU’s denials and the absence of provided school records. The article does not identify any minor beyond the student named by the Cross family and relies on public statements and the family’s account as reported to Fox News Digital.
