{"id":42877,"date":"2025-11-09T03:38:57","date_gmt":"2025-11-09T03:38:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/?p=42877"},"modified":"2025-11-09T03:38:57","modified_gmt":"2025-11-09T03:38:57","slug":"major-update-in-legal-case-of-girls-who-protested-trans-athlete-at-track-and-field-medal-podium","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usdailys.com\/?p=42877","title":{"rendered":"Major update in legal case of girls who protested trans athlete at track and field medal podium"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Warning: This article contains discussion of trans issues which some readers may find distressing.<\/em><\/p>\n

The teen girls who protested against a trans athlete from the podium following a track and field race are celebrating a major win in their legal battle.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Back in May, Alexa Anderson and Reese Eckard, high\u00a0school<\/a>\u00a0track stars from Oregon, refused to take to the podium with their medals in protest of a\u00a0transgender<\/a>\u00a0competitor at the state’s track and field\u00a0championships<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The pair, with Anderson coming in third and Eckard in fourth, stepped down from the high jump podium and turned their back to it as the winners were announced, which included trans student Lia Rose who tied for fifth place.<\/p>\n

The athletes later launched a\u00a0lawsuit<\/a>\u00a0against the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA), accusing the league of excluding them from official photographs and allegedly withholding their medals.<\/p>\n

Now, there’s been a landmark update in their case as\u00a0US<\/a>\u00a0District Court Judge Youlee Yim You refused OSAA’s motion to strike parts of the teens’ lawsuit concerning\u00a0political<\/a>\u00a0speech.<\/p>\n

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\"The<\/div>\n

The pair stepped down from the podium after their win in summer (Fox News)<\/cite><\/div>\n

The plaintiffs pointed out Black Lives Matter and pro-LGBTQ<\/a>\u00a0pride messages or other forms of protest are permitted by the league, forming a major part of their argument.<\/p>\n

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Anderson slammed OSSA for attempting to have their argument removed from the case.<\/p>\n

“I\u2019m not surprised OSAA thought their past behavior didn\u2019t matter \u2014 or that the judge disagreed,” she said. “That\u2019s the thing with bias: The worst offenders are the ones who can\u2019t see their own behavior for what it is.”<\/p>\n

Anderson and Eckard, represented by the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) also told the outlet that the win is ‘a big one’ for the case.<\/p>\n

“This may seem like a small procedural win, but it\u2019s actually a big one. Every time a judge refuses to let government officials or institutions silence women for speaking the truth, it\u2019s a victory for the First Amendment and for common sense,” it said in a statement.<\/p>\n

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\"The<\/div>\n

The girls received a patriot award earlier this week (Roy Rochlin\/Getty Images)<\/cite><\/div>\n

“When the OSAA proudly celebrates causes like BLM and Pride Month but then punishes our plaintiffs for expressing a different, equally protected belief, it exposes the hypocrisy at the heart of their actions.<\/p>\n

“The Constitution doesn\u2019t let government officials pick which viewpoints are acceptable. And today\u2019s ruling reaffirmed that truth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Their victory comes as the teen athletes were awarded the Most Valuable Patriot Award for their protest at the Fox Nation Patriot Awards earlier this week.<\/p>\n

In her acceptance speech, Anderson said: “I\u2019m so incredibly grateful, and none of this would\u2019ve been possible without the support of every single one of you who has seen our story, who has shared it and brought our story and our fight into the national spotlight.”<\/p>\n

She said in a follow-up on Fox and Friends on Friday (November 7) that she was committed to ‘fighting for the rights of women’s sports to have a safe and fair environment’ but admitted it may drag out for ‘years’ or even ‘our lifetime’.<\/p>\n

“It\u2019s so incredibly worth it if we can help all these girls to have a safe and fair environment,” she concluded.<\/p>\n

Eckard also said in her acceptance speech that there are dozens of other girls who ‘deserve this award for their courage’.<\/p>\n

“I thank God that He gave Alexa and I the courage to stand for truth,” she added.<\/p>\n

UNILAD has contacted the OSAA for comment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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