SALT LAKE CITY — A judge has declined to sanction Utah's high school athletics association over accusations it violated his injunction allowing transgender girls to play school sports when it complied with an executive order from President Trump.
The Utah State Legislature in 2022 passed a law banning transgender girls from playing school sports matching their gender identity. A group of transgender girls sued some Utah school districts and the Utah High School Activities Association, arguing it was discriminatory. Third District Court Judge Keith Kelly granted a preliminary injunction allowing them to play.
But when the UHSAA suddenly complied with an executive order from President Trump banning transgender girls from playing sports matching their gender identity, lawyers for the girls went back to court and sought to hold the UHSAA in contempt of court for violating the injunction.
On Friday, Judge Kelly rejected the plaintiffs' request.
"UHSAA argues that the Executive Order represents a fundamental shift in the legal landscape and that it could not allow Plaintiffs to participate in girls' sports without facing substantial repercussions from the federal government. In contrast, Plaintiffs argue that UHSAA overstates the impact of the Executive Order because it is a mere policy statement that does not directly require anything of the states and has no enforcement mechanism," the judge wrote. "The Court agrees, in part, with UHSAA. Even if UHSAA did violate the Court's Preliminary Injunction, the Court finds that UHSAA could not ignore the practical effects of the federal government's enforcement efforts surrounding the Executive Order and the threat of significant consequences for Utah's public schools and students."
Judge Kelly has yet to rule on the UHSAA's renewed request to dismiss the lawsuit.
