NEWYou can now listen to Pakinomist articles!
The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that USA Powerlifting “discriminated” against a biologically male transgender athlete by not allowing that athlete to compete in a women’s competition in 2018.
The court’s decision was unanimous. Five of the seven Minnesota Supreme Court justices were appointed by Democratic Governor Tim Walz, and the other two were appointed by former Democratic Governor Mark Dayton.
Trans athlete JayCee Cooper sued USA Powerlifting in 2021 alleging the organization engaged in discriminatory practices after denying the athlete’s application to compete in the women’s division in 2018, claiming it violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON Pakinomist
The court’s decision said that “USA Powerlifting’s policy at the time of the decision was to categorically exclude transgender women from competing in the women’s division.”
“Because USA Powerlifting’s facially discriminatory policy provides direct evidence of a discriminatory motive, there is no genuine issue of material fact as to whether Cooper’s transgender status actually motivated USA Powerlifting’s decision to prohibit Cooper from competing. We therefore reverse that portion of the appellate court’s decision on this issue,” Chief Judge Natalie Hudson wrote in Wednesday’s opinion.
“We agree with Cooper that USA Powerlifting’s policy is discriminatory on its face; therefore, there is no genuine dispute that USA Powerlifting discriminated against Cooper because of her transgender status.”
However, the decision also sent part of the case back to a lower court to determine whether USA Powerlifting has a “legitimate business purpose” in excluding the trans athlete.
MINNESOTA TEEN SOFTBALL PLAYER OPENS UP ON TRANS PITCHER PLAYOFF GAME AS TRUMP ADMIN RAISES TITLE IX ENFORCEMENT
After a lower court initially sided with Cooper in 2023, the Minnesota Court of Appeals sent the case back to the trial court, saying there were “genuine questions of fact” about whether USA Powerlifting excluded Cooper because of the athlete’s transgender identity and whether the organization had a “legitimate business reason” to do so. The state Supreme Court then decided to take up the case in July 2024.
USA Powerlifting has argued that allowing transgender women to compete in the women’s division would put other women at a disadvantage.
“Our goal at the USAPL is to create rules and a framework that upholds the principles of fair play, not to exclude anyone. To support trans athletes, the USAPL created an open MX division in 2021 to serve all gender identities, including transgender and non-binary members. The organization welcomes trans judges in all competitions, open or otherwise,” USA Powerlifting President Larry Maile said last year.
“Since science shows that those born biologically male have a profound physical advantage over female-born athletes, our responsibility is to define legitimate categories to fairly place athletes within them.”
Lawyers for USA Powerlifting called Wednesday’s decision a “partial victory for both sides,” according to The Independent.
Republicans in Minnesota have condemned the court’s decision.
Minnesota Republican House Speaker Lisa Demuth issued a statement rejecting the ruling.
“For decades, women and girls fought tirelessly for the rights guaranteed under Title IX. Unfortunately, these hard-fought protections have come under increasing attack, and today’s decision marks another setback in the fight to protect girls’ sports,” Demuth said.
“This issue is ultimately about safety and fairness, and Minnesotans overwhelmingly agree that their daughters and granddaughters should not be forced to compete against boys. House Republicans are poised to act in the first weeks of next year’s legislative session to make clear that girls’ sports are for girls.”
