A New York appeals court Wednesday struck down Nassau County’s law barring transgender girls and women from women’s sports teams using county facilities, handing Attorney General Letitia James a victory in her legal battle with Bruce Blakeman. The unanimous ruling by a four‑judge panel of the Appellate Division, Second Department, reversed a lower‑court decision upholding the restrictions.
Court Ruling Details
The judges found the county law conflicted with New York’s statewide antidiscrimination protections. They held that Nassau’s permit restrictions were preempted by the state Human Rights Law and Civil Rights Law, which prohibit discrimination based on gender identity or expression. The court directed the lower court to enter a judgment declaring the measure invalid under the state Constitution and Municipal Home Rule Law.
Reactions
Nobody should have to fight to play the game they love. Transgender athletes have the right to play on the court, field, or roller rink like everyone else, and today the Second Department made clear that Nassau County cannot ban them, James said in a statement.
Thomas Adams, Nassau County attorney, said the county would continue fighting. “We are reviewing the decision with the intention to continue the appeals process,” he stated in a press release.
Blakeman, who lost his gubernatorial challenge to Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul the day before, signed the law on July 15, 2024 after the county Legislature passed legislation reinstating the restrictions. He argued the policy protected safety and fairness, citing Title IX and biological sex distinctions. James also won reelection Tuesday.
Broader Context
In June, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld similar restrictions in West Virginia and Idaho, allowing schools to determine female team eligibility by biological sex under Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause. That ruling did not require every state to adopt such bans.
The appeals court found that limited access to private facilities had reduced the league’s practice opportunities and hurt its ranking. It also determined that requiring the league to identify as mixed‑sex could jeopardize its governing‑body status and ability to find opponents.
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Nobody should have to fight to play the game they love. Transgender athletes have the right to play on the court, field, or roller rink like everyone else, and today the Second Department made clear that Nassau County cannot ban them, James said in a statement.
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The appeals court held that Nassau’s permit restrictions were preempted by the state Human Rights Law and Civil Rights Law, which prohibit discrimination based on gender identity or expression. It directed the lower court to enter a judgment declaring the measure invalid under the state Constitution and Municipal Home Rule Law.
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In that decision, the appeals court found that limited access to private facilities had reduced the league’s practice opportunities and hurt its ranking. It also found that requiring the league to identify as mixed‑sex could jeopardize its governing‑body status and ability to find opponents.
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As long as I am attorney general, no New Yorker will be shut out of public life because of who they are. James said.
Jackson Thompson is a sports reporter for Fox News Digital covering critical political and cultural issues in sports, with an investigative lens. Jackson’s reporting has been cited in federal government actions related to the enforcement of Title IX, and in legacy media outlets including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Associated Press and ESPN.com.
