USA Powerlifting settles with transgender woman in discrimination lawsuit

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - USA Powerlifting has settled its lawsuit with a transgender athlete after a Minnesota Supreme Court ruling in a discrimination case against the powerlifting organization.

Settlement in discrimination case

What we know:

USA Powerlifting announced on Tuesday it had reached a settlement with JayCee Cooper, a transgender woman powerlifter, who had brought a lawsuit against the organization back in 2021.

The case had been playing out in the courts over the past several years. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed but will include a financial remedy.

USA Powerlifting also says it's future in Minnesota is unclear, but they will continue to operate in other states. Officials say they will review their options in coming weeks.

Years-long court battle

The backstory:

Cooper claimed USA Powerlifting had discriminated against her as a transgender woman by not allowing her to compete in a 2019 competition with other women. At the time, USA Powerlifting didn't have a policy on transgender women at its events. Later, the organization issued a blanket ban barring trans women from competing in USA Powerlifting female competitions.

Cooper fought the ban, later filing a lawsuit in Ramsey County claiming the organization violated Minnesota's Human Rights Act. USA Powerlifting argued that Cooper had an unfair advantage over other women lifters due to the fact that she had gone through puberty as a male before transitioning in her mid-20s.

Cooper scored an early court win with the district court granting a partial judgment in her favor. However, USA Powerlifting appealed the decision and the Minnesota Court of Appeals reversed the district court decision, finding USA Powerlifting had based their decision on Cooper's physiology not her transgender status.

Last year, the Minnesota Supreme Court issued a key decision ruling that the USA Powerlifting ban did constitute discrimination against Cooper under a public accommodations claim.

Reaction to settlement

What they're saying:

In a statement, former USA Powerlifting President Larry Maile said: "The state Supreme Court ruling has created legal dissonance for Minnesota sporting organizations, where complying with state law risks creating federal liability and vice versa. We would like to avoid becoming an agent of discrimination against the largest protected class in the country — women."

In an additional statement, he also added: "What the plaintiffs cast as a victory for transgender rights is a ruling that has forced Minnesota to take a step backward for women, fair competition and common sense."

The other side:

In a statement, Gender Justice Legal Director Jess Braverman celebrated the settlement. Gender Justice is a Midwest legal nonprofit that fights for gender equity and helped represent Cooper in the case.

Braverman writes: "It is illegal to discriminate against transgender athletes in Minnesota, full stop. The Minnesota Supreme Court ruling in Cooper v. USA Powerlifting affirmed this, and in the settlement we’ve reached with USA Powerlifting, they have acknowledged that their policies excluding trans women athletes broke the law. They are also paying a sum for the harm they caused.

"Minnesota’s trans-inclusive sports policies are supported by our state laws, are in alignment with federal anti-discrimination laws like Title IX (as demonstrated by the Eighth Circuit’s recent ruling that Minnesota's transgender inclusion policies do not violate Title IX), and have helped make Minnesota a leader in girls’ sports participation.

"We celebrate this victory, but we also remain vigilant. We will continue to ensure that all Minnesotans, including transgender Minnesotans, can participate in sports, schools, employment, and health care without facing discrimination because of who they are."