Oregon girls who protested trans athlete at track and field medal podium score legal win in lawsuit

Athletes Alexa Anderson and Reese Eckard accept the 'Most Valuable Patriot Award' at the Fox Nation Patriot Awards for their silent protest at their state track and field competition after competing against a biological male.

Oregon teens Alexa Anderson and Reese Eckard scored a win in their legal battle against the state's high school sports association after they stepped down from a medal 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 the girls' First Amendment rights were infringed upon by the officials.

U.S. District Court Judge Youlee Yim You denied the OSAA's motion to strike a portion of the lawsuit that highlighted what forms of political speech the league does allow, including Black Lives Matter and pro-LGBTQ pride messaging, which was a key point in the plaintiffs' argument.

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Anderson condemned the OSAA for attempting to strike that argument in a statement to Fox News Digital.

"I'm not surprised OSAA thought their past behavior didn't matter — or that the judge disagreed. That's the thing with bias: The worst offenders are the ones who can't see their own behavior for what it is," Anderson said.

Anderson and Eckard are being represented in their case by the America First Policy Institute (AFPI).

"This may seem like a small procedural win, but it’s actually a big one. Every time a judge refuses to let government officials or institutions silence women for speaking the truth, it’s a victory for the First Amendment and for common sense," the AFPI said in a