Evelyn Parts has become the third transgender athlete in a month to file a lawsuit against a U.S. college in response to the growing national push to restrict biological males in women’s sports. The legal action, targeting Swarthmore College and the NCAA, alleges that the institution and athletic body violated Title IX when they banned Parts from competing on the women’s track and field team in February. The lawsuit is part of a broader trend, as other trans athletes have also filed similar suits against universities, such as Sadie Schreiner against Princeton and Emma Morquecho against Westcliff University.
Parts’ case centers on her claim that Swarthmore reinstated her to the women’s team in April despite NCAA and federal policy prohibiting it. According to her athletics page, Parts competed in several events, including the Bill Butler Invitational and the Centennial Championships, before graduating in May. The lawsuit also challenges the NCAA’s updated policy, which was finalized in February with Trump’s executive order, restricting biological males from women’s sports categories. This policy change has spurred multiple lawsuits, including those against RIT, UPenn, and San Jose State for alleged violations of trans athletes’ rights.
The legal battles have intensified since President Biden’s executive order protecting trans athletes, which was replaced by Trump’s mandate. The Department of Education has already taken action against several universities, including UPenn for Lia Thomas’ participation in women’s swimming and Wagner College for Redmond Sullivan’s inclusion in women’s fencing. Swarthmore is now faced with claims that it defied both NCAA policy and federal law by allowing Parts to compete. The case has drawn statements from her attorney, Susie Cirilli, who accused the NCAA of implementing a ‘bigoted policy’ and called the actions of officials at Swarthmore and Princeton ‘utterly intolerable.’ Meanwhile, the NCAA has maintained that its policy is clear and that incidents like Ithaca College’s handling of a trans rower will not be considered as violations unless there is a policy breach.
The situation underscores the ongoing debate over gender identity in collegiate athletics. Parts’ case raises important questions about the interpretation of Title IX and the role of federal versus institutional policies in regulating sports participation. The attorney’s statement highlights a growing legal and advocacy push by trans athletes and their allies, with claims that the policies adopted by the NCAA and individual colleges are discriminatory. This has led to a significant shift in the legal landscape, with more trans athletes taking to the courts to challenge what they see as unjust exclusion from women’s sports. The broader implications of these cases may influence future policies and legal rulings on gender integration in athletics at the collegiate level.
The growing number of lawsuits suggests a shift in the legal and advocacy landscape. As more trans athletes take action, the outcomes of these cases may shape the future of sports policies in both colleges and national competitions. The Department of Education’s interventions and the NCAA’s continued stance on policy enforcement will be critical in determining the direction of these legal battles. The cases involving Parts, Schreiner, and Morquecho are not just about individual rights but also about the broader societal and institutional responses to gender identity in sports, with potential long-term impacts on how athletics are structured and regulated in the future.