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Families of three high school runners in Connecticut file lawsuit over transgender duo

Pat Eaton-RobbAP
Bloomfield High School transgender athlete Terry Miller, second from left, wins the final of the 55-metre dash over transgender athlete Andraya Yearwood.
Camera IconBloomfield High School transgender athlete Terry Miller, second from left, wins the final of the 55-metre dash over transgender athlete Andraya Yearwood. Credit: Pat Eaton-Robb/AP

The families of three female high school runners in the US have filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block transgender athletes in Connecticut from participating in girls sports.

Selina Soule, a senior at Glastonbury High School, Chelsea Mitchell, a senior at Canton High School and Alanna Smith, a sophomore at Danbury High School are represented by the conservative not- for-profit organisation Alliance Defending Freedom.

They argue that allowing athletes with male anatomy to compete has deprived them of track titles and scholarship opportunities.

“Mentally and physically, we know the outcome before the race even starts,” said Smith, who is the daughter of former Major League pitcher Lee Smith.

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High school athletes Alanna Smith, left, Selina Soule, centre and Chelsea Mitchell have filed a federal lawsuit to block a state policy that allows transgender athletes to compete in girls sports.
Camera IconHigh school athletes Alanna Smith, left, Selina Soule, centre and Chelsea Mitchell have filed a federal lawsuit to block a state policy that allows transgender athletes to compete in girls sports. Credit: AP Photo/Pat Eaton-Robb

“That biological unfairness doesn’t go away because of what someone believes about gender identity. All girls deserve the chance to compete on a level playing field.”

The lawsuit was filed against the Connecticut Association of Schools-Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference and the boards of education in Bloomfield, Cromwell, Glastonbury, Canton and Danbury.

The Connecticut Association of Schools-Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference says its policy follows a state anti-discrimination law that says students must be treated in school by the gender with which they identify and the group believes the policy is “appropriate under both state and federal law.”

The lawsuit centres on two transgender sprinters, Terry Miller and Andraya Yearwood, who have frequently outperformed their competitors.

The two seniors have combined to win 15 girls state indoor or outdoor championship races since 2017, according to the lawsuit.

The three plaintiffs have competed directly against them, almost always losing to Miller and usually behind Yearwood. Mitchell finished third in the 2019 state championship in the girls 55-meter indoor track competition behind Miller and Yearwood.

“Our dream is not to come in second or third place, but to win fair and square,“ Mitchell said. “All we’re asking for is a fair chance.”

Yearwood, a senior at Cromwell High School, and Miller, a senior at Bloomfield High School, issued statements vehemently defending their right to run in girls events.

“I have faced discrimination in every aspect of my life and I no longer want to remain silent,” Miller said. “I am a girl and I am a runner. I participate in athletics just like my peers to excel, find community, and meaning in my life. It is both unfair and painful that my victories have to be attacked and my hard work ignored.”

Yearwood said she also is a girl and has been hurt by the efforts to “tear down my successes.”

“I will never stop being me!” she said in her statement. “I will never stop running! I hope that the next generation of trans youth doesn’t have to fight the fights that I have. I hope they can be celebrated when they succeed not demonized. For the next generation, I run for you!“

The American Civil Liberties Union said it will represent the transgender teens and defend the Connecticut policy in court.

Connecticut is one of 17 states that allowed transgender high school athletes to compete without restrictions in 2019, according to Transathlete.com, which tracks state policies in high school sports across the country.

Eight states had restrictions that make it difficult for transgender athletes to compete while in school, such requiring athletes to compete under the gender on their birth certificate, or allowing them to participate only after going through sex reassignment procedures or hormone therapies, according to Transathlete.

Yearwood and Miller have said they are still in the process of transitioning but have declined to provide details.

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