NCAA’s Ban on Transgender Athletes Sparks Lawsuit and Outrage

Evie Parts, a long-distance runner from Swarthmore College, has filed a lawsuit against the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the college’s athletic department, alleging that they illegally removed her from the track team due to her transgender identity. The lawsuit claims that the NCAA’s ban on transgender athletes in women’s sports does not have legal grounds, as it is not a governmental organization and therefore does not have jurisdiction over Pennsylvania state law or the Title IX federal statute.

According to the complaint, Parts was removed from the team on February 6, the day the NCAA issued its new policy on transgender athletes. The NCAA’s policy limits competition in women’s sports to athletes assigned female at birth. Parts’ lawsuit states that she was told by Swarthmore’s athletic officials that she could compete with the men’s team or as an unattached athlete, but only if she received medical treatment. She was also denied coaching, travel, and other benefits as a member of the women’s team. The lawsuit alleges that this treatment caused Parts significant emotional distress, including a depressive state that led her to engage in self-harm and express suicidal thoughts.

Parts’ attorney, Susie Cirilli, said that the NCAA’s policy is “bigoted” and that Swarthmore College chose to follow it despite federal and state law. “We stand by the allegations in the complaint,” Cirilli said. “The NCAA is a private organization that issued a bigoted policy. Swarthmore College chose to follow that policy and disregard federal and state law.”

Swarthmore College issued a statement saying that it “deeply values our transgender community members” and recognizes that the NCAA’s policy is a difficult and painful time for members of the transgender community. “We worked to support Evie Parts in a time of rapidly evolving guidance, while balancing the ability for other members of the women’s track team to compete in NCAA events,” the statement said. “Given the pending litigation, we will not comment any further.”

This lawsuit is not an isolated incident. In July, a transgender woman sued Princeton University claiming she was illegally removed from a track meet due to her gender identity. The complaint seeks unspecified damages for a “humiliating, dehumanizing and dignity-stripping ordeal” in front of family and friends. The lawsuit highlights the need for greater understanding and inclusivity in sports, particularly for transgender athletes.

The NCAA’s policy on transgender athletes has been widely criticized by advocates and athletes. The policy was implemented after former President Donald Trump signed an executive order intended to ban transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports. The policy has been challenged in several states, including Pennsylvania, where a bill to ban transgender athletes from competing in women’s and girls’ sports at the collegiate and K-12 levels was approved by the state Senate in May. The bill has not yet been voted on by the state’s Democratic-controlled House of Representatives.

Parts joined the Swarthmore track team in fall 2020 and competed in the indoor and outdoor track seasons and cross country in 2023. She was a member of the women’s team until she was removed on February 6. Parts graduated from Swarthmore in May.

The lawsuit has sparked an outpouring of support for Parts and other transgender athletes. “Evie Parts’ courage in standing up for her rights is an inspiration to us all,” said Sarah Kate Ellis, CEO of GLAAD. “The NCAA’s policy is discriminatory and has caused irreparable harm to transgender athletes like Evie. We stand with her in her fight for justice and equality.”