New York attorney general sues county over transgender law

(The Center Square) — New York Attorney General Letitia James is suing Nassau County over the newly signed law banning transgender female athletes from competing in women's sporting events at county facilities.

The lawsuit, which was filed on Monday alongside a similar complaint by the New York chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, targets a law approved by the Nassau County Legislature in June banning transgender girls and women from competing at county facilities on teams and leagues, which Nassau County Chief Executive Bruce Blakeman signed.

The law is similar to an executive order signed by Blakeman in February barring transgender athletes from participating in female sports at county facilities, which was blocked by a recent court ruling. Blakeman appealed the ruling.

But James said the law, like Blakeman's order, "directly conflicts" with state laws protecting New Yorkers from discrimination based on their gender identity or expression. She has asked a judge to block the restrictions from going into effect.

"With this law, Nassau County is once again attempting to exclude transgender girls and women from participating in sporting events while claiming to support fairness,” James, a Democrat, said in a statement. "Here in New York, every person has the right to be exactly who they are free from discrimination, and my office will always protect that right."

The AG's office issued a press release with comments from transgender activists, civil liberties and progressive groups, praising the legal challenge, calling the law discriminatory and claiming it would lead to higher suicide rates among transgender teens.

Blakeman, a Republican who rode a red wave into office in November 2021, posted on social media that he is "disappointed" James would "attempt to frustrate Nassau County’s desire to protect the integrity of women’s sports, ensure the safety of its participants and provide a safe environment for girls and women to compete."

The New York Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit in March challenging Blakeman's order on behalf of the Long Island Roller Rebels, a women's roller derby team. The plaintiffs argued that the ban violated the state's anti-discrimination laws.

James threatened to take legal action against Blakeman's ban after her office issued a cease-and-desist letter to Blakeman saying the order violated the state’s anti-discrimination laws.

State Supreme Court Judge Francis Ricigliano overturned the ban in May, saying the county executive exceeded his authority by issuing the directive. Ricigliano said Blakeman wasn't given authority from the County Legislature, representing the county’s 19 districts, to issue the order setting the policy.

In her lawsuit, James argued that the county's ban imposes "undue increased scrutiny" on girls’ and women’s teams and leagues and "will also subject all athletes on girls’ and women’s sports teams to invasive questioning and other verification requirements." Her office said it forces teams to either "categorically exclude them or to forego participating in sports at more than 100 county-run facilities and venues."

"This discriminatory law not only impacts Nassau County-based teams and leagues but also deters teams from elsewhere in New York from participating in Nassau County games and sporting events," she said.

The legal fight over the county's ban has garnered national media attention amid an ongoing debate over transgender women competing in women’s sports, which has become an issue in the upcoming presidential election.

The restrictions have drawn praise from former Olympic gold medal champion Caitlyn Jenner, who came out as a transgender woman in 2015 and has become a vocal critic of transgender athletes competing in women’s sports.