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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 walking off the podium to protest a trans athlete in May.
Anderson and Eckard’s lawsuit against the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) alleges the league excluded them from official photos after the protest and even withheld their medals. The suit argues that the girls’ First Amendment rights were violated by the officials.
U.S. District Court Judge Youlee Yim You denied OSAA’s motion to strike a portion of the lawsuit that highlighted forms of political speech permitted by the league, including Black Lives Matter and pro-LGBTQ pride messages, which were a key point in the plaintiffs’ argument.
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Anderson condemned OSAA for trying to refute that argument in a statement to PK Press Club Digital.
“I’m not surprised that OSAA thought their past behavior didn’t matter — or that the judge disagreed. That’s the problem with bias: The worst offenders are those 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’s actually a big victory. Every time a judge refuses to let government officials or institutions silence women who tell the truth, it’s a victory for the First Amendment and for common sense,” AFPI said in a statement provided to PK Press Club 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 decision reaffirmed that truth.”
PK Press Club Digital has reached out to OSAA for comment on You’s decision.
Anderson and Eckard were honored Thursday night at the seventh annual Fox Nation Patriot Awards, receiving the Most Valuable Patriot award for their protest in May.
OREGON ATHLETES WIN “MOST VALUABLE PATRIOTE” AWARD AFTER REFUSING TO SHARE PODIUM WITH TRANS CONTESTANT
“I am incredibly grateful, and none of this would have been possible without the support of each and every one 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 for giving Alexa and I the courage to stand up for the truth,” Eckard added. “There are so many girls who deserve this award for their courage.”
The two high school track stars, who continued their sports at the collegiate level, joined “Fox & Friends” Friday morning to discuss the price tag and the impact the decision had on their lives and the fight for women’s rights.
“Receiving this award was honestly such an honor. It was never something I thought would happen when we came off that podium,” Anderson said.
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Reflecting on her decision to speak out, she believes “100%” that it was worth it.
“I think fighting for the right of women in sports to have a safe and fair environment will be a fight that we will be involved in for years to come, maybe even our entire lives. And it will be so worth it if we can help all of these girls have a safe and fair environment.”
