New York Appeals Court Strikes Down Nassau County’s Ban on Transgender Athletes

On November 4, 2026, a New York appeals court declared Nassau County’s ban on transgender girls and women in women’s sports at county facilities illegal under state anti-discrimination law. County officials say they are reviewing it and intend to continue the appeals process, so the dispute may not be over.

The decision is the latest turn in a fight over how state and local rules treat gender identity in sports. For broader context, see our transgender history and education hub, and for the vocabulary used in this coverage, our terminology guide.

What did the New York appeals court decide?

The Appellate Division, Second Department, declared Nassau County’s ban on transgender athletes illegal in New York v. County of Nassau, according to the state attorney general’s office.

The New York Attorney General’s office announced the result on November 4, 2026. In its New York Attorney General press release, “Attorney General James Wins Lawsuit Against Nassau County Over Illegal Trans Athlete Ban”, the office said the challenged county law banned transgender girls and women from women’s sporting events at county-run parks and facilities. The court found that the New York Human Rights Law and the Civil Rights Law prohibit the county from restricting access to places of public accommodation based on a person’s gender identity or expression, including whether the person is transgender.

Press coverage dates the decision to Wednesday, November 4. The Advocate, “Back-to-back losses for New York GOP candidate as court overturns his ban on trans athletes” reports that the ruling overturned an October 2025 decision by Judge R. Bruce Cozzens that had upheld the ban. The reporting reviewed for this article does not include the judges’ names, the vote, or the precise remedy the court ordered, and it relies on the attorney general’s summary and news accounts rather than the written opinion.

How did Nassau County’s ban get to this point?

The ban began as an executive order, was later replaced by a county law, and has been in and out of court since early 2024.

According to The Advocate, County Executive Bruce Blakeman issued the original executive order in February 2024. It required sports groups seeking park permits to classify teams by sex assigned at birth. A state judge, Francis Ricigliano, struck that order down in May 2024, writing that Blakeman had acted beyond the scope of his authority. The county’s Republican-controlled Legislature then passed a law containing the ban, which Fox News, “Long Island county executive vows to protect women’s sports after appeals court halts trans athlete ban,” dates to June 2024. The attorney general filed suit in July 2024, according to her office.

The Advocate also reports that a request to block the new law was denied in January 2025, and that the ban had kept transgender women athletes out of more than 100 county athletic facilities. In October 2025, Judge Cozzens upheld the ban, writing that it was designed to protect women and girls and noting that transgender athletes could still play in coed leagues at county facilities. An appeals court then barred the county from enforcing the ban while the case continued, according to Fox News.

What was the legal basis for the ruling?

As the attorney general describes it, the ruling rests on New York state anti-discrimination statutes rather than on a federal constitutional question.

The attorney general’s office argued that the county law conflicted with state anti-discrimination law, and the court agreed that state law forbids the county from limiting public accommodations based on gender identity or expression. That distinction matters for readers following the national debate. A holding grounded in New York statutes governs New York and does not decide the federal questions presented in other cases, such as the Washington wrestling case before the Supreme Court.

This article is a news summary, not legal advice. Anyone affected by the ruling who needs to understand how it applies to a particular league or facility should consult the full opinion and a qualified attorney.

What do the two sides say about the decision?

The state and the plaintiffs describe the ruling as protecting equal access to public spaces, while the county describes its law as a way to protect women’s sports.

Attorney General Letitia James said in her office’s statement that “no New Yorker will be shut out of public life because of who they are.” The ABC7 New York, “Appeals court strikes down Nassau County transgender sports ban” quotes Gabriella Larios, a senior staff attorney at the New York Civil Liberties Union, who said the court made clear that state anti-discrimination law prohibits banning transgender girls from public spaces. That is her characterization of the decision, not the court’s own wording.

Nassau County’s position is different. Blakeman has said the county will continue to protect the integrity and safety of women’s sports, and the earlier ruling that upheld the ban took the view that the law served women and girls. After the decision, Nassau County Attorney Thomas Adams said the county is reviewing the ruling and intends to continue the appeals process.

What does the ruling mean for the Long Island Roller Rebels?

The Long Island Roller Rebels, a roller derby league based in Old Bethpage, can again play at county-run facilities, according to ABC7 New York.

The league describes itself as a women’s roller derby team that welcomes all athletes, and the New York Civil Liberties Union sued on its behalf. In the earlier stage of the case, the appeals court’s interim order, as summarized by Fox News, reasoned that making the league coed would change its identity and could affect its standing with its sport’s governing body, its ability to add members, and its ability to find opponents. Those details come from news summaries of the interim order rather than from the final decision, which the sources reviewed do not describe in detail.

Is the Nassau County decision final?

Not necessarily, because county officials have said they intend to keep appealing.

The county’s stated plan means the case could continue, and the sources reviewed do not say whether a further appeal has actually been filed or whether any part of the ruling is paused. Readers should watch for a filing, a stay request, or a written opinion that spells out the court’s reasoning. Until then, the safest reading is that a New York appeals court has ruled against the ban and that the county has signaled it will contest the result.

How does this fit with other state and local sports rules?

Rules on transgender athletes vary widely, and recent developments in other places point in different directions.

We recently reported that Washington voters approved a transgender sports ban requiring medical proof, a measure that takes a different approach from the New York ruling. In Virginia, Virginia withdrew a Youngkin-era rule on transgender sports and facilities. Together with the Nassau County decision, they show how much the outcome depends on state statutes, local officials, and the courts that interpret them. For explainers and background on the terms and laws involved, browse the Reference Library.

Frequently asked questions

What did the New York appeals court rule on Nassau County’s transgender athlete ban?

On November 4, 2026, the Appellate Division, Second Department, declared the ban illegal, finding that New York’s Human Rights Law and Civil Rights Law bar the county from restricting access to public accommodations based on gender identity or expression.

Who brought the case?

Attorney General Letitia James sued Nassau County in July 2024, and the Long Island Roller Rebels, a roller derby league, challenged the ban separately with the New York Civil Liberties Union.

What did the Nassau County law do?

It barred transgender girls and women from women’s sporting events at county-run parks and facilities, which reporting says covers more than 100 athletic facilities.

Is the ruling final?

Not necessarily. Nassau County Attorney Thomas Adams said the county is reviewing the decision and intends to continue the appeals process.

What does the county say about the ban?

County Executive Bruce Blakeman has said Nassau County will continue to protect the integrity and safety of women’s sports, and an earlier judge who upheld the ban wrote that it was designed to protect women and girls.

Does this ruling apply outside New York?

As the attorney general described, the decision rests on New York state statutes, so it governs New York and does not resolve the federal questions pending in other courts.