Friday, February 14, 2025
State Supreme Court Judge Bruce Cozzens has denied a request by the Long Island Roller Rebels, a women’s recreational roller derby league, to temporarily block a Nassau County law that restricts sports teams at county facilities based on biological sex.
The Roller Rebels argued that the local law discriminates against transgender women by preventing them from participating in women’s sports. The league sought a preliminary injunction to stop the law's enforcement while their lawsuit challenging the law continues.
“I'm very happy that State Supreme Court Judge Bruce Cozzens ruled that Nassau County's local law banning biological males from playing on female sports teams is constitutional and that we did abide by the law,” County Executive Bruce Blakeman said in a statement. “I'm gratified that we were the first in America to do it, and I think we set the tone for the rest of the nation.”
The county defended the law, claiming it was enacted to ensure fairness and safety in sports for biological women. The county also argued that federal Title IX regulations, which protect women’s sports, support their position.
The court ruled on Tuesday that the league failed to prove that the law discriminates against transgender individuals under New York's Human Rights Law or Civil Rights Law. The judge noted that the law does not ban transgender individuals from participating in sports but requires leagues to designate teams as male, female or co-ed.
In its decision, the court emphasized the safety concerns and physical differences between biological men and women, particularly in contact sports like roller derby. The judge also highlighted the county’s responsibility to use public facilities in ways that serve the majority of taxpayers.
“As we've said all along, it's just common sense,” Blakeman said in his statement. “Biological males should not play in female sports. They have a competitive advantage. It's unfair, and it's also unsafe.”
