Transgender athletes in Connecticut scored a victory on Friday when the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference may move forward with a policy that allows transgender students to compete on women’s and girls sports teams in the state.
The case, Soule v. Connecticut Association of Schools, Inc., examined whether the Connecticut school systems were violating Title IX by allowing transgender students to participate on women’s sports teams.
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“Today’s ruling is a critical victory for fairness, equality, and inclusion,” Joshua Block, a senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union who represented the conference, said in a statement.
The complaint filed by the Alliance Defending Freedom, which represented athletes Selina Soule, Chelsea Mitchell, Alanna Smith, and Ashley Nicoletti, argued that “girls deserve to compete on a level playing field.”
The original suit sought to bar two transgender athletes — Terry Miller and Andraya Yearwood — from competing in the 2020 spring outdoor track season.
“We conclude that the CIAC and its member schools did not have adequate notice that the Policy violates Title IX — indeed, they had notice to the contrary — Plaintiffs’ claims for damages must be dismissed,” a panel of judges wrote.
One of ADF’s clients, Chelsea Mitchell, wrote an op-ed in USA Today arguing her case as “the fastest high school female in the 55-meter dash” in her state.
?️⚧️VICTORY!?️⚧️
Today the Second Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a student athletic policy in CT allowing transgender students to play on the teams consistent with their gender identity.Trans youth have a right to equal and fair play.https://t.co/TIYKn29Xuk
— ACLU of Connecticut (@acluct) December 16, 2022
“I’ve lost four women’s state championship titles, two all-New England awards, and numerous other spots on the podium to male runners. I was bumped to third place in the 55-meter dash in 2019, behind two male runners. With every loss, it gets harder and harder to try again, ” she wrote earlier this year.
Mitchell added, “Males have massive physical advantages. Their bodies are simply bigger and stronger on average than female bodies. It’s obvious to every single girl on the track.”
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The ACLU was celebratory of the win.
“VICTORY!” the ACLU of Connecticut wrote in a tweet.
“Trans student athletes belong on our sports teams and in our schools, and all trans youth should be celebrated and protected for who they are,” Elana Bildner, ACLU Foundation of Connecticut senior staff attorney, said in a statement. “Today, the courts have once again dismissed this lawsuit seeking to attack trans student athletes. The record shows that our clients played by the rules, and the court agreed.”
