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Sorority alumnae sue Kappa Kappa Gamma over transgender membership
Sorority alumnae challenge Kappa Kappa Gamma after transgender woman admitted to Wyoming chapter.
In brief
Sorority alumnae challenge Kappa Kappa Gamma after transgender woman admitted to Wyoming chapter. Sorority alumnae seek legal precedent to protect single-sex spaces after Kappa Kappa Gamma admitted transgender woman to University of Wyoming chapter. Originally reported by Fox News.
Sorority alumnae return to court
Sorority alumnae returned to federal court Monday, asking judges to revive their lawsuit against Kappa Kappa Gamma after they alleged the sorority's national leadership improperly allowed a chapter to admit a transgender woman.
“We were promised a sisterhood, and we were given a brother”
Allie Coghan's legal goal
Plaintiff Allie Coghan told Fox News Digital that while she has since graduated, she hopes the appeal will establish a clear legal precedent that protects single-sex private spaces and keeps national organizations from overriding local member consent.
“If Kappa wants to redefine the word woman to include men in the definition, that's fine, but they have to go through the proper procedures to do so and allow members to vote, which they did not”
Transgender student admitted
The legal fight stems from 2022, when transgender student Artemis Langford was allowed to join the University of Wyoming chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma.
“They were knocking on girls' doors asking for proof that you had voted”
Voting process bypassed
Coghan said the chapter did not follow its normal voting procedures during the process. Instead of using what she described as the chapter’s traditional recruitment app, members were required to submit non-anonymous Google Forms attached to their email addresses.
“They were knocking on girls' doors asking for proof that you had voted”
Leadership ignored
Coghan said that, despite attempts by members and parents to contact the organization’s national leadership, executives did not answer phone calls and eventually stopped answering emails.
“They were knocking on girls' doors asking for proof that you had voted”
Initial lawsuit dismissed
The initial lawsuit was dismissed by U.S. District Judge Alan B. Johnson, who ruled that Kappa Kappa Gamma, as a private organization, could interpret its own membership requirements.
“We were promised a sisterhood, and we were given a brother”
Appeal to 10th Circuit
However, the alumnae, supported by the Independent Women's Law Center, appealed the ruling to the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which heard oral arguments in Denver Monday.
“It was very surreal to be back. I mean, we were in college. We just wanted to be sorority girls, finish our degrees, graduate, go out into the real world”
Toxic house environment
Coghan described the situation in school as toxic and said the sorority house became a 'political war zone'.
“The entire dynamic of the house completely shifted. It became a political war zone”
Shower access issues
She said that while Langford did not live in the house, the student was granted 24/7 access to the living quarters and common rooms, including an area young women needed to walk through to get to the showers.
“You would see him sitting in the common rooms upstairs, and girls have to walk past those rooms to get to the shower”
Shower safety concerns
Coghan said girls would have to walk in their towel and take showers, with the risk of encountering the transgender student in the hallway.
“Girls would have like a lookout basically when they're in the shower. They would text their roommate, say, 'Hey, I'm coming back,' and they would have to clear the hall”
Plaintiffs' legal argument
The plaintiffs argued the national leadership of the group could not legally redefine core membership terms, including what constitutes being a 'woman,' without a formal vote from the organization's members or an amendment to its bylaws.
“If Kappa wants to redefine the word woman to include men in the definition, that's fine, but they have to go through the proper procedures to do so and allow members to vote, which they did not”
Kappa Kappa Gamma response
When reached for comment by Fox News Digital, Kappa Kappa Gamma said, 'On Monday, Kappa Kappa Gamma defended in the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in Colorado, our right as a private organization to interpret Kappa Kappa Gamma’s bylaws'.
“We will continue to vigorously defend against attempts by plaintiffs to use the judicial system to take away a private organization’s fundamental right to govern itself and cause lasting damage to our organization”
In short
Sorority alumnae seek legal precedent to protect single-sex spaces after Kappa Kappa Gamma admitted transgender woman to University of Wyoming chapter.
