A federal appeals court has upheld a Connecticut Interscholastic Athletics Conference policy that allows transgender youth to play on the teams most consistent with their gender identity.
Soule v. Connecticut Association of Schools is the first such federal case in the country.
The U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the plaintiff’s claim that the CIAC policy allowing two transgender athletes, Andraya Yearwood and Terry Miller to participate, denied other girls opportunities or championships.
The court found that on many occasions the plaintiffs placed first in various events, even sometimes when competing against Yearwood and Miller.
It ruled that the CIAC policy conforms with Title IX, the federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in educational programs.
Yearwood and Miller were defended by the ACLU of Connecticut.
