A trans athlete who was banned from competing by USA Powerlifting has won a discrimination settlement. JayCee Cooper took a case to the Minnesota Supreme Court, arguing that by excluding her from competing in women’s competitions, the sporting body is in violation of the state’s Human Rights Act.

News of the settlement was confirmed by Gender Justice, which represented the athlete, on Tuesday, April 28. Legal Director Jess Braveman shared, “We celebrate this victory, but we also remain vigilant and ready to take action to ensure that all Minnesotans, including transgender Minnesotans, can participate in sports, schools, employment, and health care without facing discrimination because of who they are.”

The exact details of the settlement have not been published.

Cooper was first banned from entering two women’s powerlifting competitions in 2018, leading her to sue. The organisation maintained that the exclusion was based on “strength advantages” related to sex assigned at birth, rather than the fact that she is trans.

In October 2025, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that USA Powerlifting’s policy to bar trans women from the women’s division constituted discrimination in public accommodations. It also noted that the governing body did not have a formal written policy at the time, but still excluded the athletes.

The court sent a separate discrimination claim back to a lower court, saying USA Powerlifting needed to show its policy was reasonably necessary for its business mission rather than being based on stereotypes.

USA Powerlifting is one of many organisations that have banned trans women from competing in sport. However, a recent study published in the British Journal of Medicine found that these athletes have “no significant differences” to their cisgender counterparts. Another piece of research from 2024 found that athletic trans women who had received gender-affirming hormonal care had worse performance in lung function, jump height, and VO₂ max than cisgender women.