In a statement to the Star Tribune, Ellison said he will “continue to defend the rights of all students to play sports with their friends and peers.”

“In addition to getting exercise and the fun of competition, playing sports comes with so many benefits for young people,” Ellison said. “You build friendships that can last a lifetime, you learn how to work as part of a team, and you get to feel like you belong. I believe it is wrong to single out one group of students, who already face higher levels of bullying and harassment, and tell these kids they cannot be on the team because of who they are.”

In addition to Ellison, other officials named in the suit are Erich Martens, MSHSL executive director; Willie Jett, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Education; and Rebecca Lucero, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights. The Star Tribune is not naming the students because it generally does not name minors involved in pending legal action.

A community relations official with Osseo Area Schools, which includes Maple Grove High, which is attended by one of the plaintiffs, said the district is “following guidance from the attorney general and state laws.” Farmington Area Public Schools said it is aware of the lawsuit, but does not comment on pending or active litigation.

The Minnesota Department of Human Rights told the Star Tribune: “The Minnesota Human Rights Act is one the strongest civil rights laws in the country and protects every Minnesotan from discrimination. We will respond in court.”

In the suit, the softball players said they do not know what “medical interventions, if any,” the player has received. The players said the state created an uneven playing field for female athletes by allowing males to compete in women’s sports “regardless of any pharmaceutical intervention, and testosterone suppression and puberty blockers.”