Chloie Jonnson is suing the CrossFit company after being denied entry to a female fitness completion because she was born a male, CNN reports.
Jonnson, a personal trainer and transgender woman, is seeking $2.5 million in damages, claiming CrossFit causing emotional distress and showed discrimination against her.
"The fundamental, ineluctable fact is that a male competitor who has a sex reassignment procedure still has a genetic makeup that confers a physical and physiological advantage over women," a letter from CrossFit's lawyer sent to Jonnson in October stated, TMZ reports.
"Our decision has nothing to do with 'ignorance' or being bigots -- it has to do with a very real understanding of the human genome, of fundamental biology, that you are either intentionally ignoring or missed in high school," CrossFit added.
Jonnson's attorney, Waukeen McCoy, told CNN CrossFit's claims against her are unsubstantiated, as she had undergone sexual reassignment surgery in 2006 and had been on female hormone therapy for a "long time."
"(Jonnson) doesn't have an advantage over other women. She's been on estrogen for such a long time," McCoy said.
"She's female," he explained to CNN. "She's legally female. A corporation like CrossFit, they're doing business in California. The law precludes from discrimination on gender identity."
Jonnson told CNN she changed all her records after her surgery to reflect she was a female and never revealed she was transgender to CrossFit. She released the following press statement about her impending lawsuit:
"If I am going to be forced to out myself, I want it to be for the good for all transgendered people and athletes -- not because of a company's discriminatory policies."
Jonnson's attorney told CNN his client is seeking to change the company's policy, so transgender athletes wouldn't have to "out" themselves in order to compete in the CrossFit games.
