County leader sues New York over an order to rescind his ban on transgender female athletes
By PHILIP MARCELO
Associated Press
MINEOLA, N.Y. (AP) — A Republican official in New York City’s suburbs who prohibited girls and women’s sports teams with transgender athletes from using county facilities has asked a federal court to affirm the ban. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman says in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that the “cease and desist” letter issued by state Attorney General Letitia James violates the U.S. Constitution’s “equal protection” clause. The Republican argues that forcing him to rescind his Feb. 22 executive order denies those assigned female at birth the right to equal opportunities in athletics by exposing them to increased risk of injury competing against transgender women.