Four female athletes seeking legal action over a Connecticut policy that allows biological males to participate in female sporting events have described the “emotional and psychological stress” they have suffered from the policy.
The track and field athletes – Chelsea Mitchell, Selina Soule, Alanna Smith and Ashley Nicoletti – are leading a Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference legal battle to reverse its policy.
They say that because of the rule that allows biological males to compete against females, their sports records have been damaged and they are missing out on future opportunities.
The women say they have been “denied of medals, placements or promotion opportunities because of the male athletes participating in our events.”
“Our records of athletic achievement during our high school years doing athletics should have stayed on our resumes and with us for life – opening doors to higher education, leadership, work and personal fulfillment,” they wrote in a published op-ed by Fox.
Chelsea Mitchell (pictured), along with Selina Soule, Alanna Smith and Ashley Nicoletti, are leading a Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference legal battle to reverse a policy that allows trans women to participate in women’s sporting events
Alanna Smith (left) and Ashley Nicoletti, two of four former high school track and field stars embroiled in a lawsuit to overturn a Connecticut rule that allows trans women to participate in women’s sporting events
Selina Soule and the other women campaigning against Connecticut’s rule, say it has left, have described the “emotional and psychological stress” they suffered from the policy
“But alas, for the four of us, our records were compromised, our achievements diminished, and our chances diminished.”
The women add, “CIAC needs to adjust its policies to maintain fairness and equality so that no other girl has to suffer the emotional and psychological stress and anxiety we experienced from being forced to compete on an unfair playing field.”
Their case was launched in 2019 and previously dismissed by a panel of federal judges who said Connecticut’s policy was not clearly within the scope of Title IX.
Title IX prohibits gender discrimination in institutions receiving federal aid, which covers the vast majority of educational institutions.
The four athletes, who are represented by Alliance Defending Freedom, are appealing the earlier ruling and have asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit to allow the case to move forward.
John Bursch, ADF Senior Counsel and Vice President of Appellate Advocacy, said, “Selina, Chelsea, Alanna and Ashley — like all female athletes — deserve access to fair competition.
“The CIAC’s policy degraded every single one of their achievements and damaged their athletic records, irreparably harming every female athlete’s interest in accurate recognition of her athletic achievements.”
Chelsea Mitchell speaks outside Thurgood Marshall’s courthouse in the United States on June 6 after suing the Connecticut school system for allowing transgender women to compete against biological women. Their campaign started in 2019
He added, “This is necessary not only for the women who have been deprived of medals, potential scholarships and opportunities, but also for all female athletes across the country.”
The ADF said, “From 2017, two male athletes began participating in Connecticut’s all-girls high school.
“In just three years, those two men broke 17 girls’ track and field records, deprived girls of more than 85 opportunities to advance to the next level of competition, and grabbed 15 women’s track and field titles.”
The women said they should be able to count on “government officials, policymakers and governing bodies in sports to properly enforce Title IX protections for female athletes.”
Mitchell, who was once called “the fastest girl in Connecticut,” also recently criticized California sports authorities for allowing biological males to compete against girls.
The former high school racer said it was a disadvantage to the other athletes, as they had an “unfair” biological advantage over their female competitors.
Adeline Johnson, who placed fourth in a high school track and field competition, gave her thumbs down after losing a state championship shot to a trans athlete in May
Riley Gaines, who lobbied against a North Carolina transportation bill on April 19, has become a leading voice for separate categories for women
“Ultimately, it’s unfair that these biological males end up in the category of females and . . [that’s] why our institutions need to step up and implement policies that protect the female category,” she said.
She was speaking after a high school athlete gave a thumbs down on the medal podium after losing a shot at the state championships to a transgender athlete.
Adeline Johnson finished fourth in the 1600 meter race at the CIF-North Coast Section Meet of Champions, while Athena Ryan, who is transgender, placed second.
The screenplay was one of the latest in a series of examples of biological men winning events in women’s categories.
Current and former top athletes have joined the backlash, with swimmer and women’s rights advocate Riley Gaines becoming a leading voice in favor of separate categories for women.
Gaines called out Ryan about the California incident and asked, “Did they realize they clearly had an unfair advantage?”
She also recently wrote for DailyMail.com about a vicious attack she suffered at the hands of trans activists on a college campus. She was locked in a room at San Francisco State University for three hours to protect herself from the “vengeful” mob that demanded they be let in to “fight” her.
