Court decision: 2 Minn. high school boys who fought to join dance teams now able to try out

Court decision: 2 Minn. high school boys who fought to join dance teams now able to try out Photo: KSTP

March 06, 2019 01:48 PM

A federal appellate court issued a preliminary injunction Wednesday in an effort to reverse a Minnesota State High School League rule that declares competitive dance to be a "girls only" sport.

The decision followed the efforts of two Minnesota high school students who fought to change the rule in December.

The two, Dmitri Moua, a Roseville Area High School junior, and Zach Greenwald, a Hopkins High School junior, said they wanted to dance year-round and compete for their schools, but MSHSL rules prohibited boys from joining.

"We are thrilled that the court agreed that prohibiting boys from competing on high school dance teams in Minnesota is likely unconstitutional," attorney Caleb Trotter said in a statement. "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."

The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued the injunction. The case is ongoing.