CT female athletes forced to compete with males return to court after 2nd Circuit puts case back in play

WHO:  Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys

WHAT:  Available for media interviews following oral arguments in Soule v. Connecticut Association of Schools

WHEN:  Immediately following hearing, which begins at 10 a.m. EDT, Friday, Aug. 16

WHERE:  U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut, 450 Main St., Suite A012, Hartford. To schedule an interview, contact ADF Deputy Director of Media Relations AnnMarie Pariseau at (480) 417-3975.

HARTFORD, Conn. – Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys representing four female athletes deprived of honors and opportunities at elite track-and-field levels by male athletes permitted to compete against them will be available for media interviews Friday following oral arguments in federal district court. The athletes—Selina Soule, Chelsea Mitchell, Alanna Smith, and Ashley Nicoletti—suffered defeats because the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference adopted a policy that allows males who identify as female to compete in girls’ athletic events.

In December, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit reinstated the case Soule v. Connecticut Association of Schools and allowed it to proceed in district court. Friday, the female athletes will ask the court to rule in favor of fairness and equal opportunities for female athletes under Title IX.

“Selina, Chelsea, Alanna, and Ashley—like all female athletes—deserve access to fair competition. The CIAC’s policy degraded each of their accomplishments and scarred their athletic records, irreparably harming each female athlete’s interest in accurate recognition of her athletic achievements,” said ADF Legal Counsel Cody Barnett, who will be arguing before the court on behalf of the athletes. “The 2nd Circuit was right to allow these brave women to make their case under Title IX and set the record straight, and now we’re urging the federal district court to do the same. This is imperative not only for the women who have been deprived of medals, potential scholarships, and other athletic opportunities, but for all female athletes across the country.”

Starting in 2017, two male athletes began competing in Connecticut girls’ high school track. In just three years, those two males broke 17 girls’ track meet records, deprived girls of more than 85 opportunities to advance to the next level of competition, and took 15 women’s state track championship titles. Four of those titles were earned by ADF client Chelsea Mitchell. Four times she was the fastest female in a women’s state championship race, and four times she watched that title, honor, and recognition go to a male athlete instead. Over the course of her high school career, Mitchell lost to these males more than 20 times. The other female athletes represented in this case all likewise have been denied medals, placements, or advancement opportunities because of the male athletes competing on their teams.

Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, and the sanctity of life.

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