CIAC Stands By Its Policy As Federal Lawsuit Is Filed

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

The families of three female high school athletes in Connecticut filed suit in federal court on Wednesday, attempting to bar transgender athletes Terry Miller and Andraya Yearwood from competing against girls in track and field meets. 

According to a report by The Associated Press, Selina Soule, of Glastonbury High School, Alanna Smith, of Danbury High School, and Chelsea Mitchell, of Canton High School, are represented by the conservative nonprofit organization Alliance Defending Freedom. The organization argues that allowing athletes with male anatomy to compete has deprived their clients of track titles and scholarship opportunities.

Connecticut has become a testing ground for a complicated issue surrounding transgendered athletes. Over the past two years, Yearwood and then Miller moved from boys JV competition to girls competition before beginning the hormonal treatment necessary to transition. 

But the policy of the Connnecticut Interscholastic Athletics Conference is that an athlete may compete with the gender they identify with. 

And Wednesdsay, the CIAC issued a statement that doubled down on the policy.

The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) is committed to equity in providing opportunities to student athletes in Connecticut. In 2013 the CIAC adopted its current policy regarding transgender participation in athletics. When first adopting that policy and when subsequently reviewing it, the CIAC consulted with and relied on statements and advice from numerous bodies and organizations, including the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, the Connecticut State Department of Education, the National Federation of State High School Associations, and the Office for Civil Rights.  The CIAC believes that its current policy is appropriate under both state and federal law, and it has been defending that policy in the complaint that was filed previously with the Office of Civil Rights.  Although OCR’s investigation is still pending, the CIAC is aware that a lawsuit has now also been filed in federal court. The CIAC will respond to that lawsuit after we have a chance to review it further.

Yearwood, a senior at Cromwell, is undefeated in eight races in the 55-meter dash this winter and her best time, 7.02 seconds, is ranked seventh nationally. Miller, a senior at Bloomfield, has participated in 11 55-meter dash races this winter and won nine of them. However, her best time of 7.36 seconds, does not crack the top 100 nationally.

Read the DyeStat Four-Part Series On Transgender Athletes, "Beyond The Labels" - Meet Terry Miller | Understanding Transgender | What Is Fair? | The Role Of High School Sports