Trans athlete scandal spotlight back on Minnesota as softball lawsuit returns to court

Attorneys representing 3 Minnesota girls' precocious schoolhouse softball players appeared earlier the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit connected Thursday, asking the tribunal to intervene successful a suit against Minnesota authorities agencies and Attorney General Keith Ellison for allowing a biologic antheral jock to vie against girls. 

The lawsuit, which was filed successful outpouring 2025, was dismissed by U.S. District Judge Eric Tostrud connected Sept. 19. But the plaintiffs and their attorneys astatine Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) were determined to entreaty the determination close away. 

ADF lawyer Hal Frampton argued connected behalf of the plaintiffs connected Thursday. 

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Champlin Park celebrates winning the State Championship portion Bloomington Jefferson looks on. (Amber Harding)

"The crux of our statement earlier the appellate tribunal is that Title IX is for everyone, it protects fairness and information successful women's sports successful reddish states arsenic good arsenic bluish states, and that erstwhile states let men to vie successful women's sports it takes distant that takes women's rights and women's opportunities successful usurpation of Title IX," Frampton told Fox News Digital.

The suit aims to person a transgender pitcher who led Champlain Park High School to a authorities title past outpouring ruled ineligible to vie successful girls' softball, arsenic good arsenic immoderate different biologic antheral to beryllium ineligible to play girls' sports successful the state. 

The Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit expedited the lawsuit to get an aboriginal proceeding successful January, which Frampton believes volition beryllium captious to perchance addressing the contented earlier the 2026 softball play starts. 

"We were truly encouraged that the tribunal expedited the statement truthful that they could person it successful January, and we anticipation that signals they mean to contented an sentiment earlier the commencement of softball season," Frampton said.

Since the suit was primitively dismissed successful September, Minnesota and its Democratic enactment person travel nether immense scrutiny, and arguably mislaid credibility owed to the state's increasing payment fraud scandal. 

Potentially billions of taxation dollars, chiefly stemming from a monolithic national kid nutrition programme ungraded estimated astatine implicit $9 cardinal successful full fraud, alongside a $250 cardinal COVID-era nutrient assistance strategy and different important Medicaid fraud cases, has sown increasing distrust successful Ellison and Gov. Tim Walz. Walz has precocious dropped his bid for re-election amid increasing disapproval for his handling of the state's fraud problem. 

"It surely suggests the enactment successful Minnesota should beryllium focused connected things different than taking girls' rights away, it seems similar they person bigger food to fry," Frampton said.

COALITION OF 207 WOMEN LAWMAKERS FILE AMICUS BRIEF IN SUPPORT OF PROTECTING FEMALE ATHLETES FOR SCOTUS REVIEW

Additionally, conscionable days aft Frampton's suit was primitively dismissed, the U.S. Department of Education and Department of Health and Human Services determined that Minnesota acquisition agencies violated Title IX by allowing the trans pitcher, and different biologic males, to vie successful girls' sports. 

"So we were capable to mention that to the appellate court, we were not capable to mention that to the appellate court. It was not disposable erstwhile we were successful beforehand of the territory court. So we're hopeful that they volition instrumentality the enforcement agencies' views into account," Frampton added. 

After President Trump signed the "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" enforcement bid past February, the Minnesota State High School League announced it would defy national instrumentality by allowing transgender athletes to proceed playing women's sports. Ellison past claimed astatine a property league April 22 that helium received announcement from the Department of Justice threatening ineligible enactment if the authorities did not travel the enforcement order. So, the lawyer wide decided to writer first.

Meanwhile, Ellison has already filed his ain suit against Trump and the DOJ for trying to enforce its policies to support girls' sports successful Minnesota. Ellison has bragged astir "suing them first" regarding the issue. 

Within the state, hundreds of schoolhouse committee members person signed a missive urging enactment to amend its policies to lone let females to vie successful girls' sports. At the clip of publication, 326 school committee members successful 125 districts successful Minnesota person signed the letter.

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Minnesota Governor Tim Walz speaks during a property league connected caller weapon authorities astatine Bloomington City Hall successful Bloomington, Minnesota, connected Aug. 1, 2024. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

"Protecting fairness successful women’s sports is paramount. The national determination highlights however permitting males to vie connected pistillate teams displaces pistillate athletes from podiums, denies them advancement opportunities, and diminishes their visibility and designation successful competitions. Female students successful our districts and crossed Minnesota merit adjacent chances to excel successful sports, escaped from unfair carnal advantages that biologic differences confer," the missive reads. 

"Protecting the privateness and dignity interests of students is arsenic important. As the national findings observe, allowing males into female-only locker rooms and restrooms leads to documented harms to pistillate students’ safety, privacy, and entree to acquisition activities."

Fox News Digital reached retired to Ellison's bureau for comment. 

Ellison's bureau declined to respond, telling Fox News Digital, "We'll diminution to comment, truthful consciousness escaped to flip successful different weird rant from Jack Brewer instead."

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