Lawsuit Against Connecticut Transgender Athletes Policy Gets Second Chance

A lawsuit against Connecticut's policy of allowing transgender athletes to compete in girls and women's sports is being reconsidered, after it was struck down in December.

Alliance Defending Freedom, or ADF, filed the case on behalf of four former Connecticut high school athletes. Those four — Chelsea Mitchell, Selina Soule, Alanna Smith, and Ashley Nicoletti — said the state's decision to allow transgender athletes to compete according to their gender identity took away awards and opportunities from them and other female athletes.

A three-judge panel of the 2nd Circuit shot the suit down late last year. Just a few months later, the 2nd Circuit has opted to take another look at it.

“Selina, Chelsea, Alanna, and Ashley—like all female athletes—deserve access to fair competition. We’re pleased the 2nd Circuit has decided to rehear this important case, and we urge the court to protect women’s athletic opportunities," ADF Senior Counsel Christiana Kiefer said in a statement.

In 2017, two biological male transgender athletes began competing in girls' track and field. The ADF notes that in three years, those two broke 17 girls’ track meet records. Their success took away opportunities for female athletes to further their athletic careers.

They also won 15 state titles. ADF Client Chelsea Mitchell was the fastest female athlete in the field in four of those instances. During her high school athletic career, she lost to those transgender athletes over 20 times.

Allowing transgender athletes to compete against women has been a hot-button issue for the last few years. Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas dominated the NCAA competition and broke records in the process. Many criticized Thomas' success and FINA, now World Aquatics, banning biological males from competing against females.

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