The resolution was announced by Gender Justice, the legal advocacy group representing Cooper. The settlement follows a significant ruling by the Minnesota Supreme Court in October 2025, which found that the sports organization had violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act by barring Cooper from competing in its women's division.
The dispute originated in 2018 when Cooper was denied entry into two women's powerlifting competitions. In response, she filed a lawsuit arguing that the exclusion was a clear case of discrimination based on her identity as a transgender woman.
The Legal Arguments
Throughout the case, USA Powerlifting maintained that its policy was not based on Cooper's gender identity but on what it termed as physiological "strength advantages" for athletes assigned male at birth. However, Cooper's legal team successfully argued that this blanket ban was discriminatory under state law.
The case reached a pivotal moment when the Minnesota Supreme Court determined that USA Powerlifting, as an organization offering services to the public, was subject to the state's public accommodation laws. The court ruled that its exclusion of transgender women from the women's division amounted to illegal discrimination.
Settlement and Broader Context
While the specific terms of the settlement have not been made public, the outcome marks a conclusion to Cooper's fight for inclusion. In a statement, Gender Justice celebrated the result but noted the ongoing need for vigilance in protecting the rights of transgender people in sports and other areas of public life.
The case has been closely watched both within the United States and internationally. While the ruling is based on Minnesota state law, it contributes to the broader global conversation about how sports organizations create and implement policies for transgender athletes. Similar debates are taking place across Europe, as governing bodies work to balance inclusion with competitive fairness, making this case a relevant point of reference for the LGBTQ+ community in the Netherlands and beyond.
