USA Powerlifting says it will not back down after the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled the group discriminated against trans-identifying male powerlifter JayCee Cooper.
USA Powerlifting is pushing back after the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that it discriminated against a trans-identifying male athlete by denying him entry into the women’s division.
In a statement sent to OutKick, USA Powerlifting said it was “pleased to have prevailed on one of the claims” in the case and “disappointed with other findings in the ruling.”
MORE: Minnesota Supreme Court: USA Powerlifting ‘Discriminated’ Against Trans Athlete
Officials made it clear: they aren’t backing down.
“Our goal since litigation commenced against USA Powerlifting (USAPL) in 2021 was to present all the facts and evidence of our actions to a jury,” the organization said. “We are pleased that both of Minnesota’s state appellate courts agree we have a right to present a claim of business discrimination to a jury and look forward to offering our evidence toward that end.”
The group also made a firm defense of its original policy to separate competition categories based on biological sex. That’s the policy the state’s highest court deemed “discriminatory.”
“When fairness is the foundation of sport, categories matter,” the statement continued. “Taken to its logical conclusion, this determination means USAPL will be forced to become an agent of discrimination against the largest protected class in the country — women. It also demonstrates that Minnesota is trending against both federal law and broad public consensus.”
As OutKick previously reported, the state’s Supreme Court found that USAPL violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act by barring trans-identifying male powerlifter JayCee Cooper from the women’s category. It’s a move the court said was clearly based on gender identity.
However, the ruling sent one claim back to a lower court, allowing USAPL to defend its policy under what’s known as a “legitimate business purpose” clause.
In its statement, the organization laid out exactly what that purpose is: “USAPL acted for legitimate, non-discriminatory reasons to promote fairness in the sport when determining that Ms. Cooper should not compete in the women’s division due to her male physiology. Ms. Cooper was born biologically male and went through puberty as a male. According to unrebutted scientific research, males have up to a 64% strength advantage in powerlifting and suppressing testosterone only reduces the advantage by about 10%. This difference in outcomes makes it fundamentally unfair for a male-to-female transgender powerlifter to compete in the women’s division.”
USA Powerlifting emphasized that the organization created a separate MX division for trans and nonbinary competitors in 2021, calling it a “common sense, inclusive approach” and a way to “better serve all of our competitors — including the protected class of female-born individuals.”
In the statement, USAPL also pointed to strong public support for its stance.
“A 2025 New York Times/Ipsos poll found 79% of Americans oppose allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports,” the organization noted. “Since the Minnesota Supreme Court heard oral arguments in our case, the U.S. Olympic Committee has barred transgender female athletes from competing in women’s events, and the U.K. Supreme Court ruled that the term ‘woman’ applied to biological females.”
The group closed its statement with a message to supporters:
“We are grateful for the outpouring of support we have received from across the country, as evidenced by the nearly 100 elite female athletes, Olympians, national champions, and parents who have stood with us to protect fairness in women’s sports. USAPL remains committed to serving every athlete with respect and integrity.”
The district court will now evaluate whether USAPL’s category policy qualifies as a “legitimate business purpose” under the state’s Human Rights Act.
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