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Oregon teenagers Alexa Anderson and Reese Eckard won a victory in their legal battle against the state’s high school athletic association after they walked off a medal podium to protest a trans athlete in May.
Anderson and Eckard’s lawsuit against the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) alleges that the league excluded them from official photographs after the protest and even withheld their medals. The lawsuit argues that the officials infringed on the girls’ First Amendment rights.
U.S. District Court Judge Youlee Yim You denied OSAA’s motion to dismiss a portion of the lawsuit that highlighted what forms of political speech the league allows, including Black Lives Matter and pro-LGBTQ pride messages, which was a key point in the plaintiffs’ argument.
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Anderson condemned the OSAA for attempting to make that argument in a statement to Pak Gazette Digital.
“I’m not surprised that OSAA thought their past behavior didn’t matter, or that the judge didn’t agree. That’s the thing about bias: The worst offenders are the ones who can’t see their own behavior for what it is,” Anderson said.
Anderson and Eckard are represented in their case by the America First Policy Institute (AFPI).
“This may seem like a small procedural victory, but it is actually a big victory. Every time a judge refuses to allow government officials or institutions to silence women for telling the truth, it is a victory for the First Amendment and for common sense,” AFPI said in a statement provided to Pak Gazette Digital.
“When OSAA proudly celebrates causes like BLM and Pride Month, but then punishes our plaintiffs for expressing a different, equally protected belief, it exposes the hypocrisy at the heart of their actions. The Constitution does not allow government officials to choose which viewpoints are acceptable. And today’s ruling reaffirmed that truth.”
Pak Gazette Digital reached out to the OSAA for comment on You’s ruling.
Anderson and Eckard were honored at the seventh annual Fox Nation Patriot Awards on Thursday night, receiving the Most Valuable Patriot Award for their protest in May.
OREGON ATHLETES WIN ‘MOST VALUABLE PATRIOT’ AWARD AFTER REFUSING TO SHARE THE PODIUM WITH A TRANS COMPETITOR
“I am incredibly grateful and none of this would have been possible without the support of each of you who saw our story, who shared it and brought our story and our fight to the national spotlight,” Anderson said during her acceptance speech.
“I want to start by thanking God. I thank God that you are all here tonight. I thank God that he gave Alexa and I the courage to stand up for the truth,” Eckard added. “There are many girls who deserve this award for their bravery.”
The two high school track stars, who went on to play their sport at the collegiate level, joined “Fox & Friends” on Friday morning to discuss the award and the impact that decision has had on their lives and the fight for women’s rights.
“Honestly, receiving that award was a huge honor. It was never something I thought would happen when we stepped off that podium,” Anderson said.
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Reflecting on the decision to speak out, she “100%” believes it was worth it.
“I think fighting for the rights of women’s sports to have a safe and fair environment will be a fight we will be a part of for years, maybe even our entire lives. And it is so worth it if we can help all these girls have a safe and fair environment.”
