High School Softball Girls File Lawsuit vs State of MN Trying Shut Down 6-Foot Transgender Pitcher

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Minnesota high school softball players
Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

In March 2015, Minnesota became the 33rd state to write into law that transgender high school athletes who were born biological male (XY), but who now identify as female (XX), can legally participate in licensed MSHSL girls’ competitions.

Fast-forward to 2025, where Champlin Park’s 6-foot junior righty Marissa Rothenberger — born Charlie Dean (XY) — is arguably the top high school softball pitcher in the state, touting a 0.94 ERA and 0.60 WHIP on the season, powered by 71 strikeouts in 52 innings pitched. Opposing batters are hitting just .145 against Rothenburger, who’s allowed just 7 earned runs all year.

The Patriots have ridden their TALL ace to a 17-2 overall record on the season. As of May 15, the Star Tribune had Champlin Park ranked No. 4 in the state, in the class of 4A. That was prior to two more wins this week, a 10-0 victory over Coon Rapids and 13-1 win vs Chaska.

Rothenburger didn’t pitch in either game, but did play 2B vs Chaska, going 3-for-3 with 2 doubles, 3 RBI and 3 runs scored. Marissa’s season batting average now sits at .319. On Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. (weather permitting), Marissa Rothenburger is expected to take the rubber in Champlin Park vs Osseo, to kick off the 2025 Minnesota Class 4A Section Softball Tournament for this year’s 2-seed.

Minnesota high school softball players suing state for allowing transgender participation

But this week, three female high school softball players are fighting back against the state of Minnesota for forcing them to play against transgender softball players who are biologically male (XY).

In a lawsuit filed Tuesday, May 20 by Female Athletes United (FAU) vs Attorney General Keith Ellison + the MSHSL and three different school districts (No. 11 – Anoka/Hennepin County, 192 – Farmington and 279 – Osseo), the three girls attest that Marissa Rothenburger’s participation for Champlin Park the past two seasons is in violation of their “equal treatment and equal opportunities guaranteed by Title IX”

(Case No. 0:25-cv-2151 – Female Athletes United v. Minnesota)

As a result of the state’s discriminatory policy, males are displacing and defeating females in their own sports, violating the equal treatment and equal opportunities guaranteed by Title IX.

FAU is an organization that advocates to protect fairness, safety, and equal opportunity for women and girls in sports. FAU members include Minnesota high school softball players who have been forced to compete against a male athlete. The softball team with the male athlete recently defeated last year’s defending state champion team.

“Minnesota is failing its female athletes. The state is putting the rights of males ahead of females, telling girls their hard work may never be enough to win and that they don’t deserve fairness and safety,” said ADF Legal Counsel Suzanne Beecher. “By sacrificing protection for female athletes, Minnesota fails to offer girls equal treatment and opportunity, violating Title IX’s provisions. Our client, Female Athletes United, is right to stand up for its members by challenging the state’s discriminatory policy and advocate for true equality in sports.”

Statement from Alliance Defending Freedom (FAU)

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The rest of the FAU statement goes on to lay out the specific reasoning why these three female softball players (most importantly) do not feel safe playing against a biological male (XY). All three also noted how Rothenburgers’s participation does not allowed them to fairly compete in MSHSL events.

One of the girls quit a club team where she was competing for a spot against Rothenburger. The other two have played against Champlin Park and lost to the transgender athlete. All three expect to compete against Marissa again in this year’s high school section and state tournaments.

Common sense (and science) says…

You can read the entire statement at the FAU website. But really, nobody with common sense needs any first-hand accounts to understand why a biological male (XY) — like Marissa Rothenburger, who reportedly came out as trans at just 9 years old — should not be playing softball against biological females (XX).

Hold whatever beliefs you want, personally. But some things are just dumb and dangerous. Period. It is scientifically proven that males (XY) are naturally bigger, faster and stronger than females (XX).

Biological sex is a primary determinant of athletic performance because of fundamental sex differences in anatomy and physiology dictated by sex chromosomes and sex hormones. Adult men are typically stronger, more powerful, and faster than women of similar age and training status.

Thus, for athletic events and sports relying on endurance, muscle strength, speed, and power, males typically outperform females by 10%-30% depending on the requirements of the event. These sex differences in performance emerge with the onset of puberty and coincide with the increase in endogenous sex steroid hormones, in particular testosterone in males, which increases 30-fold by adulthood, but remains low in females.

National Library of Medicine – American College of Sports Medicine (NIH.gov)

It’s just a matter of time before Rothenburger or the next trans softball player turns on an inside pitch that launches off the bat at 85 MPH directly into the forehead of some poor 15-year-old girl playing 3rd base for the first time.

There’s a reason why many adult co-ed softball leagues do not allow females (XX) to pitch or play third base, and why women use smaller softballs than men. Because the two genders are not the same, physically, especially when you let the one with XY chromosomes hurl a deadly weapon toward those with XX chromosomes.

Not everything has to be about politics. Some things are just common sense.

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