In a contentious issue emerging from the University of Wyoming, a lawsuit filed against the inclusion of a transgender woman in a campus sorority has been dismissed by a federal judge.
Allison Coghan, an alumna, along with six current and former members of the University of Wyoming’s Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, had taken the matter to court earlier this year.
Their concern arose after the sorority inducted 21-year-old Artemis Langford. The group claimed that Langford had on multiple occasions behaved inappropriately, even alleging instances where she was “voyeuristically peeping on them while they were in intimate situations.” On one such occasion, it was alleged that Langford “had a visible erection.”
The lawsuit argued that Langford’s inclusion in the sorority went against Kappa Kappa Gamma policies as she was not biologically female and did not make consistent efforts to appear female. The plaintiffs felt that the leadership of the sorority had betrayed the expectations of the members and the organization’s own foundational documents.
However, last Friday, the court held the view that the University of Wyoming had not violated any rules in letting Langford join.
The decision came with an observation from the judge: “The University of Wyoming chapter voted to admit – and, more broadly, a sorority of hundreds of thousands approved – Langford. With its inquiry beginning and ending there, the Court will not define ‘woman’ today.”
Coghan, while expressing her disappointment on Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle” said, “We were very disappointed to hear that that was what he decided to do.”
She conveyed to Laura Ingraham that while the dismissal was a setback, the judgment had only made their resolve stronger to ensure the protection of women’s exclusive spaces.
“We were very disappointed to hear that that was what he decided to do,” Coghan said. “Honestly, I don’t think any of us were that surprised, but we are not done fighting. We are here….we started it, and we are going finish it.”
“If anything, it has just made us want to fight a lot harder just because this is something that we need to fight for and it is so much bigger than just this one chapter, this one person that’s involved,” she continued.
Adding depth to her sentiments, Coghan mentioned the broader implications of the case, “This could go out for women’s sports or anything. We just need to be able to protect women’s spaces.”
It’s important to note that while multiple sorority members became plaintiffs, the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority had filed a motion to dismiss the case earlier this summer.
Coghan reported that current members have experienced discomfort and that there have been instances of “retaliation from [sorority] headquarters.”
Attorney Cassy Craven, representing the seven plaintiffs, said, “The fight continues on. We are prepared with a litany of additional legal filings and this increased retaliation by headquarters will not be allowed to stand.”
“It is interesting that we can’t define women in a court of law. But this really is not about defining women anymore. This is about erasing women,” she continued, referring the judges statement, “The Court will not define ‘woman’ today.”
“Now it appears that being a woman is nothing more than a clever game of semantics. And that one can just decide that one is a woman. And along with that, comes all the entitlements…” Craven said.
The plaintiffs also highlighted Langford’s behavior outside the sorority, citing her ‘Tinder’ dating app account which suggested a sexual interest in women. There were also claims that Langford posed intrusive questions to sorority members about their bodies, “what vaginas look like, breast cup size, whether women were considering breast reductions and birth control.”
Coghan emphasized the importance of maintaining a safe environment for women to learn and grow during their university years, reiterating her commitment to the cause, “And we’re going to keep fighting for that.”
Reacting to the dismissal, Langford’s attorney, Rachel Berkness stated: “The allegations against Ms. Langford should never have made it into a legal filing. They are nothing more than cruel rumors that mirror exactly the type of rumors used to vilify and dehumanize members of the LGBTQIA+ community for generations. And they are baseless,” as reported by The New York Post.
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