A New York state Supreme Court judge upheld Nassau County’s restriction on transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports within county-managed facilities on Monday.
Justice Bruce Cozzens determined that the county’s law is valid and does not bar transgender athletes from competing or using restrooms in accordance with their biological sex.
In his ruling, Cozzens indicated that the intention behind Nassau’s law is to “safeguard women and girls in sports.”
<pThe judge referenced a previous ruling from Tennessee, which allowed schools to segregate facilities based on biological sex without consideration of gender identity.
“We are pleased that the court upheld our legislation as lawful and valid,” stated Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who signed the bill into effect in 2024.
“Our commitment to protect girls and women from hazardous and inequitable competition remains unwavering,” Blakeman asserted.
Democrat Seth Koslow, who is challenging Blakeman and opposed the legislation during its passage by the GOP-majority legislature last June, opted not to comment.
In the wake of the ban’s implementation, the Long Island Roller Rebels—a recreational women’s roller derby league based in Nassau for nearly twenty years—filed a lawsuit against the county, supported by the New York Civil Liberties Union.
Gabriella Larios, the attorney representing the NYCLU and the league, contended that the law discriminates against transgender athletes and infringes upon human and civil rights laws by mandating transgender individuals to utilize specific facilities.
The ruling on Monday not only solidified the ban but also resolved the lawsuit, with the judge endorsing the county’s motion to dismiss the case.
The ruling impacts over 100 public facilities across a county with nearly 1.4 million residents, just east of Queens.
“Today’s ruling sends a discouraging message about the inclusion of trans individuals in Nassau County, but we are not finished fighting,” remarked Larios, asserting that the ruling contradicts persistent state principles.
“Even with this hurdle, we are prepared to appeal this decision to ensure that trans girls and women can participate in sports openly, much like everyone else. We are hopeful that New York courts will eventually recognize the law as discriminatory and unlawful,” she added.
Additionally, a separate legal action initiated by New York Attorney General Letitia James last year against Nassau County regarding the same law remains ongoing.
James has also asserted that the law is in violation of state human and civil rights statutes in her lawsuit.
“In New York, every individual has the intrinsic right to identify as they wish without facing discrimination. My office is committed to safeguarding that right,” James stated in a declaration related to the lawsuit.
