Trans powerlifter JayCee Cooper wins victory in Minnesota discrimination case
Minnesota Supreme Court rules trans athlete have a right to compete, but a key side issue was sent to a lower court, handing USA Powerlifting a partial victory. The post Trans powerlifter JayCee Cooper wins victory in Minnesota discrimination case appeared first on Outsports.
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Seven years since her fight with USA Powerlifting began, Minnesota powerlifter JayCee Cooper staunchly stood up for trans inclusion. Her stance was affirmed by the Minnesota Supreme Court Wednesday, which ruled that by not allowing her to compete in two USA Powerlifting events in Minnesota, the governing body violated her rights according to the Minnesota Human Rights Act.
The decision stems from two tournaments in 2018 and 2019. Cooper was entered and eligible, but was later told she could not compete because of USA Powerlifting’s claim that Cooper being a trans woman means she had “a direct competitive advantage” when Cooper applied for a therapeutic use exemption for an anti-androgen.
The governing body banned trans women from women’s competition in 2019, spurring the lawsuit. Cooper won in a Minnesota trial court in 2021 and in a district court in 2023, which led to filing in the state’s highest court.
In Wednesday’s decision, Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Natalie Hudson wrote that USA Powerlifting’s contentions of advantage were a cover for discrimination that violates state law.
“There is no individualized nuance to USA Powerlifting’s position,” Hudson wrote in the ruling. “It assumes that every transgender woman has a competitive advantage in the women’s division. There is no assessment of whether that is true in a particular case.”
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Although USA Powerlifting lacked a “formal, written transgender participation policy at the time of its initial communication with Cooper,” the ruling said, “The record establishes — and the parties do not dispute — that USA Powerlifting’s policy at the time of the decision was to categorically exclude transgender women from competing in the women’s division.”
However, the ruling left an opening for USA Powerlifting to appeal in Ramsey County District Court. According to the state’s human rights law, a business can claim an exemption if it can show discrimination is, according to the ruling, “reasonably necessary for it to achieve its central mission and there are not reasonable alternatives.”
USA Powerlifting attorney Ansis Viksnins says the governing body will appeal on those grounds.
“What the Supreme Court did was to hold that there legitimate questions for a jury to decide on whether USA Powerlifting had a legitimate business reason for not allowing Ms. Cooper to compete in the women’s division,” he told CBS Minnesota. “We’re very pleased that the court is giving us that opportunity to present all of the evidence.”
Attorneys representing Cooper saw the verdict as a “landmark decision,” noting that the ruling has implication far beyond competitive sports. “The court found USA Powerlifting liable for discrimination,” Gender Justice Legal Director Jess Braverman said. “When it comes to discrimination ipublic accommodation, you cannot bar transgender women from women’s sports teams, and that is a huge victory.”
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The post Trans powerlifter JayCee Cooper wins victory in Minnesota discrimination case appeared first on Outsports.
