Swarthmore College has found itself at the center of a legal dispute as transgender athlete Evelyn Parts claims the institution initially barred her from competing on the women’s track team following NCAA rule changes but later reinstated her, despite the new policy.
Parts filed the lawsuit, which marks the third instance in a month of trans athletes taking legal action against U.S. colleges over their inclusion in women’s sports. The lawsuit centers on whether the NCAA’s updated gender eligibility policy was properly followed by Swarthmore, which the school says it did during the period when Parts was removed from the team. However, the trans athlete alleges that her reinstatement was granted despite these policies, which have been implemented to limit the participation of biological males in women’s athletics.
The school’s statement to Fox News Digital emphasized its commitment to the trans community, stating that it provides resources to create an inclusive campus environment. The statement also acknowledged the challenging nature of the situation, noting that the school was balancing the needs of other members of the women’s track team with the evolving guidance from the NCAA. Swarthmore said it would not comment further due to the ongoing litigation.
Parts’ attorney, Susie Cirilli, has previously indicated that the NCAA’s current policy is biased, and that the school’s decision to follow it violates federal and state laws. This case is part of a pattern of similar lawsuits, with other institutions such as Ithaca College admitting to allowing a trans athlete to compete at a rowing event, which they attributed to a