The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that USA Powerlifting (USAPL) violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act by barring transgender athlete JayCee Cooper from competing in its women’s division. The justices agreed that the organization’s policy unlawfully discriminated based on gender identity under state law.
The court found that USAPL’s rule is “facially discriminatory,” meaning it excluded transgender women from the women’s category simply because of their transgender status. The decision affirms an earlier lower court ruling that Cooper’s exclusion was illegal under Minnesota’s civil rights protections.
However, the justices did not close the case entirely. They sent one issue back to a lower court to determine whether USAPL can justify its policy as a “legitimate business purpose.” This provision of the state law allows limited exceptions if a policy is proven necessary to achieve a specific mission, such as maintaining competitive fairness in sports.
Cooper, a powerlifter from Minneapolis, first applied in 2018 to compete in USAPL’s women’s division and was rejected. In 2021 she filed a lawsuit arguing that the policy violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act. Chief Justice Natalie Hudson wrote that “there is no genuine dispute that USAPL discriminated against Cooper because of her transgender status.”
USAPL argued that its policy is based on preserving fairness in competition and cited scientific claims that transgender women retain physiological advantages from male puberty. The court acknowledged that those claims created factual questions that a lower court must now review but said the organization still violated the law by enforcing a categorical ban.
Gender Justice, the legal advocacy group representing Cooper, called the decision a major victory for transgender inclusion. “The court confirmed that organizations open to the public cannot bar transgender people from participation,” the group said in a statement. Cooper also celebrated the outcome, calling it a “validation of the work we’ve been doing to make sports welcoming for everyone.”
USAPL described the ruling as a mixed result. Its attorney said the organization was pleased to have the opportunity to present additional evidence on fairness but disappointed that the court found its policy discriminatory.
The ruling comes at a time when multiple states have passed laws restricting transgender athletes from participating in women’s or girls’ sports. According to the Movement Advancement Project, 29 states have such restrictions in place. While Minnesota’s decision does not overturn those laws, it sets a clear precedent under state-level anti-discrimination protections.
The case will now return to district court to evaluate whether USAPL’s ban meets the narrow definition of a legitimate business purpose. Even if the organization succeeds on that point, the discrimination finding under Minnesota’s public accommodation rules will remain in effect.
Legal experts say the decision strengthens protections for transgender people under Minnesota law and may influence future cases involving access to sports and other public spaces.
