A transgender Minnesotan who claimed the organization discriminated against her has won the appeal of a ruling that was overturned by USA Powerlifting (USAPL).
The case was referred back to a lower court for further trials on Monday after the Minnesota Court of Appeals overturned JayCee Cooper’s first victory on Monday.
In 2021, Cooper’s attorneys sued USA Powerlifting because they believed she would gain an unfair advantage if the sport denied her request to engage in the women’s section.
A Ramsey County judge granted some of Cooper’s motions for summary judgment in February 2023, ruling that USAPL had treated her unfairly because of her sexual orientation and sex. Additionally, the judge ordered USAPL to put an end to discrimination and develop a scheme that would permit trans athletes to compete in accordance with state law.
The organization stated two months later that it would allow trans women to compete if they declared their identity to the court, but the judge found that this had not been done in the state and that the state was prohibited from holding any events there until it complied with the law.
The appellate court ruled on Monday and overturned the previous decision, finding “genuine issues of material fact as to whether the defendant excluded the claimant from the women’s section of its lifting competitions because of her trans status.”
According to the judges’ opinion, USAPL claimed Cooper had an advantage over cisgender women who didn’t get the same exposure to testosterone because she went through puberty as a man. The judges decided the organization showed it didn’t discriminate against Cooper based on her transgender status because its data and expert testimony supported that argument. Additionally, they claimed that the district court shouldn’t have quashed a law that forbids USAPL from holding events or selling memberships in Minnesota.
According to one of the magistrates, Jennifer Frisch, the court should have ruled against Cooper on one of her claims because USAPL had acknowledged that she was transgender and that the court should have decided against her. In her dissent, she wrote that the group’s claimed unfair advantages “is a policy choice for the legislature, not the judges,” and that the legislation doesn’t currently provide for such a distinction to the prejudice claim.
According to Jess Braverman, legal director for Gender Justice, the Court of Appeals affirmed that it is unlawful to discriminate against transgender people in sports, but it was sent back for trial to determine whether that is what happened. “We think it is absolutely clear JayCee Cooper has faced this kind of discrimination, and we are confident that the courts will ultimately agree.
We continue to support Ms. Cooper’s rights and advocate for a future where everyone has equal access to a range of opportunities in all sports and all walks of life. Our fight continues for fairness, equality, and the basic human rights of transgender people in Minnesota and beyond.”
