Nassau County’s ban on transgender women participating on women’s sports teams at county facilities was upheld Monday by a state judge.
Justice R. Bruce Cozzens ruled that the law, passed in June 2024, “does not prohibit transgender individuals from athletic participation” and therefore does not violate New York’s anti-discrimination laws.
The New York Civil Liberties Union, which brought the suit on behalf of a local roller derby league, vowed to appeal the ruling.
“Today’s decision sends a chilling message that trans people don’t belong in Nassau County, but the fight doesn’t end here,” NYCLU attorney Gabriella Larios said in a statement. “We are confident that New York courts will ultimately see the ban for what it is — unlawful and discriminatory.”
In his ruling, Cozzens argued it would be “dangerous as well as unfair for transgender females to compete against and with biological females.” He cited Title IX protections for women’s sports, and said transgender women in Nassau County were free to participate in coed or men’s leagues.
Cozzens’ ruling was the latest step in a winding legal trip for the ban, which was first announced as an executive order from Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman in February 2024.
The executive order was struck down by a different judge in May 2024, but Nassau County’s Republican-led legislature passed the ban into law the following month.
