Minnesota Supreme Court Rules on Transgender Athlete Case

The Minnesota Supreme Court declared on Wednesday that USA Powerlifting (USAPL) acted “discriminatorily” when it denied a biological male transgender athlete the chance to compete in the women’s division.

In response, USA Powerlifting criticized the court’s ruling. They stated, “Since the lawsuit began in 2021, our aim has been to present all the facts and evidence of our decisions to the jury. We appreciate that both Minnesota appellate courts agree we have the right to present our business discrimination claims to a jury and look forward to providing further evidence.”

The court’s decision allows for part of the case to be revisited in a lower court, which must decide if USA Powerlifting had a valid business reason for excluding transgender athletes.

In 2021, transgender athlete Jaycee Cooper filed a lawsuit against USA Powerlifting, claiming the organization was discriminatory after it rejected her application to compete in the women’s division back in 2018, allegedly violating the Minnesota Human Rights Act.

A lower court initially supported Cooper in 2023, but the Minnesota Court of Appeals later sent the case back for further review, noting “genuine factual questions” about whether her transgender identity was the basis for the exclusion and if there was a legitimate business reason behind it.

In July 2024, the state Supreme Court took the case. Their ruling declared that the earlier policy of USA Powerlifting, which categorically excluded transgender women from the women’s division, was indicative of discrimination. Chief Justice Natalie Hudson stated, “Because USA Powerlifting’s policy is discriminatory on its face, there is no dispute that Cooper faced discrimination due to her transgender status.”

Despite the ruling, USA Powerlifting maintains it acted based on legitimate grounds, emphasizing fairness in the sport. They noted that Cooper, who was born biologically male, had physiological advantages in powerlifting, arguing that research shows men can have significant strength advantages in the sport.

Furthermore, they pointed out that many Americans, as per a recent poll, support the idea of protecting women’s sports from transgender athletes. They referenced recent updates from the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, which now limits participation in women’s sports to biological women.

The court reached a unanimous decision, with most justices appointed by Democratic governors, leading to pushback from Minnesota Republicans.

House Speaker Lisa Demuth condemned the ruling, stating that it undermines the rights won under Title IX. She emphasized that safety and fairness in sports is crucial, asserting that many Minnesotans believe girls should not compete against boys and that legislation will be proposed in the next legislative session to reinforce these principles.