Victory dance in Minnesota as court reverses ‘girls only’ school dance team rule

Maplewood, Minnesota; March 6, 2019: The fact that Dmitri Moua and Zach Greenwald are boys will no longer sideline them during high school dance competitions. Today a federal appellate court ordered a preliminary injunction against the Minnesota State High School League’s enforcement of its bylaws that declare competitive dance a “girls only” sport.

“We are thrilled that the court agreed that prohibiting boys from competing on high school dance teams in Minnesota is likely unconstitutional,” said PLF attorney Caleb Trotter. “The decision is a great win for Dmitri and Zach, who will now be able to try out for their schools’ teams this fall while the case proceeds to a final resolution. Both boys have danced for years, and now they have the opportunity to compete with their friends without Minnesota’s offensive and discriminatory rule standing in the way.”

Dmitri, a Roseville High School 11th-grader, and Zach, who is in the 11th grade at Hopkins High School, asked a federal court for the injunction last July. Their lawsuit argues that the Constitution’s equal protection guarantee protects them from blatant sex-based discrimination. When a district judge denied the preliminary injunction, they immediately appealed to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which issued today’s opinion.

Pacific Legal Foundation represents Dmitri and Zach free of charge. More information is available at pacificlegal.org/dance.