State Appeals Court Blocks Nassau County’s Ban on Transgender Athletes
A state appeals court has issued a ruling that halts Nassau County’s ban on transgender athletes competing in women’s sports at public facilities. This decision comes on the heels of a previous ruling that maintained the contentious law.
The court’s preliminary injunction prevents Nassau from enforcing this ban while the appeal is ongoing. Nonetheless, county officials expressed intentions to disregard this recent ruling, indicating a continued push for the ban.
“Nassau County will continue to protect the integrity and safety of women’s sports,” stated Republican County Executive Bruce Blakeman.
County Attorney Thomas Adams called the ruling “moot,” claiming it was issued after a judge had dismissed the case. However, representatives from the state and the New York Civil Liberties Union countered that the appeals court’s ruling is enforceable and effectively reinstates the prior case, warning that legal repercussions could arise for Nassau if the ban persists.
“The Court of Appeals has made it clear that any attempt to ban trans women and girls from sports contravenes state anti-discrimination laws,” commented NYCLU attorney Gabriela Larios.
This ruling follows a decision by state Judge Bruce Cozens that maintained Nassau’s suspension of its regulations. A lawsuit filed by the Long Island Roller Rebels, a women’s roller derby league that features transgender athletes, led to the judge’s ruling. Cozens determined that the law did not prohibit transgender athletes from competing on county property or using facilities according to their identity, emphasizing that the ban aimed to “protect women and girls.”
Merely two days after this, the state’s Appellate Division concluded that the Roller Rebels, backed by the NYCLU, would incur “irreparable harm” if the ban were to remain in effect during the appeal process.
The four-judge panel indicated that compelling the Roller Rebels to reclassify as a co-ed team would fundamentally alter the league’s identity. This shift, they argued, would threaten its competitive standing among women’s teams and hinder its growth and ability to function as an umbrella organization.
The ban is significant, impacting over 100 public facilities, including adult recreational areas in Nassau County, a region home to approximately 1.4 million residents just east of Queens.
This controversial legislation was enacted by the Republican-led Nassau Assembly in June 2024. So far, there isn’t a scheduled date for the next court proceedings in this matter.
