Connecticut court reopens lawsuit against transgender inclusion in women's track and field

By lauraharris // 2023-12-22

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The Second Circuit Court of Appeals of Connecticut has revived a lawsuit from three female track and field athletes against allowing female-identifying transgender athletes to compete in the women's category. In 2020, three female high school students – Selina Soule, a senior at Glastonbury High School; Chelsea Mitchell, a senior at Canton High School; and Alanna Smith, a sophomore at Danbury High School – argued against the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference's 2017 policy revision permitting biological males who identify as females to participate in the women's division. They argued that the participation of transgender athletes unfairly exposed the girls to injuries. "Our dream is not to come in second or third place, but to win fair and square. All we're asking for is a fair chance," argued Mitchell, one of the plaintiffs who began her athletic journey in high school but lost more than 20 races due to the policy. (Related: Transgender swimmer in Canada competing against teenage girls sparks debate about safety in competitive sports.) Smith, one of the other plaintiffs, stressed how the mental and physical challenges they faced due to the "biological unfairness" of allowing transgender athletes to compete with them "don't go away." "All girls deserve the chance to compete on a level playing field," she said. The trio, accomplished runners in their own right, claimed that the policy has cost them championship titles, state records and potential scholarship opportunities. Attorney Christiana Holcomb, representing the athletes through the Alliance Defending Freedom, argued that the policy contradicts Title IX, a federal law designed to create equal opportunities for women in education and athletics. "Connecticut's policy violates that law and reverses nearly 50 years of advances for women," Holcomb said. However, the federal court dismissed the case approximately three years after its initiation in 2020. But on Dec. 18, Appeals Court Judge Alison Nathan reversed the previous ruling, arguing that the plaintiffs had presented a plausible case. "Plaintiffs plausibly allege that directing defendants to alter public athletic records related to the particularized injury they allege could at least provide plaintiffs with the publicly recognized titles and placements they would have received if Intervenors had not competed and finished ahead of plaintiffs in specific races," the judge ruled.

Mitchell still seeks to overturn the transgender policy in Connecticut

The New York Post earlier reported that Mitchell and her fellow athletes are seeking a total reversal of the state's controversial policy. "I wanted to give voice to my story and help other girls out there so that they wouldn’t have to experience this," she said. "When colleges looked at me, they didn’t see a winner. They saw a second or third place. I wasn’t a first-place finisher, and I think that’s what really hurt me." In their filing with the Second Circuit Appeals Court, the athletes request that the court update their athletic records to reflect the titles and rankings they would have earned had transgender athletes not been competing against them. The filing argues that courts routinely recognize student athletes’ ongoing interest in vindicating the records they have earned. Mitchell remains optimistic. "We were the first girls to speak out about this issue, but now there are so many more girls speaking out about their own experiences and standing up with us. The more of us there are, the easier it gets," she said. Visit GenderConfused.com for more stories about biological males competing in women's sports. Watch this clip of Paul Dragu and Dr. Duke Pesta discussing why Democrats in the House of Representatives are against protecting women's sports. This video is from The New American channel on Brighteon.com.

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Mitchell still seeks to overturn the transgender policy in Connecticut

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