Justia Minnesota Supreme Court Opinion Summaries

A transgender woman sought to compete in the women’s division of powerlifting competitions organized by a national governing body. After registering and applying for a therapeutic use exemption to take a medication as part of her gender-affirming care, she was informed that the organization’s policy categorically barred transgender women from competing in the women’s division. The organization justified its policy by asserting that transgender women have an unfair competitive advantage due to “male physiology.” The woman’s competition card was revoked, and she was denied participation.The case was first heard in the Minnesota District Court, which granted partial summary judgment in favor of the plaintiff on her claims of sexual orientation discrimination in both public accommodations and business, as well as sex discrimination in business, under the Minnesota Human Rights Act (MHRA). The district court found the organization’s policy facially discriminatory and not justified by a legitimate business purpose. However, it denied summary judgment on the claim of sex discrimination in public accommodations, citing a statutory exemption for athletic events. The court also issued injunctive relief, ordering the organization to cease discriminatory practices and revise its policy.On appeal, the Minnesota Court of Appeals reversed the district court’s grant of partial summary judgment and injunctive relief, finding genuine issues of material fact regarding the organization’s motivation and the applicability of the legitimate business purpose defense.The Minnesota Supreme Court held that the organization’s policy was facially discriminatory and constituted direct evidence of discrimination based on sexual orientation under the MHRA. The court reinstated summary judgment for the plaintiff on the public accommodations claim, as no statutory defense was asserted. However, it found a genuine dispute of material fact regarding the legitimate business purpose defense for the business discrimination claim, affirming the appellate court’s reversal on that issue. The case was remanded for further proceedings. View "Cooper vs. USA Powerlifting" on Justia Law