South Alabama freshman Alexa Anderson has filed a lawsuit against the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) after she stepped down from a medal podium to protest a transgender athlete. The incident, which occurred during a track and field competition, drew national attention and has sparked a legal battle over free speech rights for high school athletes.
Anderson, a top recruit in women’s track and field pole vault, argued that her decision to step down from the medal podium was a legitimate exercise of her First Amendment rights. She claimed that she was told to get out of the medalist photo shoot and was not given her third-place medal, which she believes was an act of retaliation for her protest. The lawsuit seeks to protect athletes’ right to express their views on issues related to sports, particularly concerning the presence of transgender athletes in women’s competitions.
The case has already cleared one of the OSAA’s motions to strike, which suggests the legal battle may be moving forward. A key factor in the lawsuit is the claim that the OSAA’s actions violated the free speech rights of the athletes.
Anderson comes from a family of Oregon Democrats, but she maintains that her stance on protecting women’s sports from male trans athletes is not tied to her political affiliation. She described her approach as being guided by personal values rather than party lines.