Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has taken legal action against the NCAA, alleging that the college athletic association has been deceptive towards fans by permitting transgender athletes to compete in women’s sporting events.
The lawsuit argues that Texas consumers have the right to use their hard-earned money on the competitions they care about, without being deceived. It calls on the Court to stop the NCAA from engaging in misleading and illegal behavior, in order to safeguard Texas consumers from the false and deceptive practices of the NCAA.
According to NCAA guidelines, a woman is defined as someone who identifies as such, regardless of their assigned gender at birth. However, the San Jose State University women’s volleyball team faced a boycott from certain opponents for including a transgender player. Despite this, a federal court recently denied a request to prevent the player from participating in the games. It is worth noting that since 2010, the NCAA policy mandates that transgender women athletes must undergo at least one year of testosterone suppression treatment before they are eligible to compete.
During the news release regarding the lawsuit, Paxton made a firm statement, expressing his concern for the safety and well-being of women. He accused the NCAA of intentionally and knowingly putting women at risk by transforming women’s competitions into co-ed events. Paxton highlighted the issue by using the example of a women’s volleyball game, emphasizing that spectators expect to see women playing against other women, not biological males pretending to be something they are not. He firmly stated that radical ‘gender theory’ has no place in college sports.
The NCAA declined to provide a comment on the lawsuit but made it clear that it remains committed to upholding Title IX, the federal civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in education and other federally-funded programs and activities. It is important to note that Title IX also recognizes and prohibits discrimination against transgender individuals.
In a statement, Michelle Brutlag Hosick, the communications director for the NCAA, emphasized the significance of college sports as the premier platform for women’s sports in America. While refraining from commenting on the ongoing legal proceedings, the NCAA and its members remain committed to promoting Title IX, making substantial investments in women’s sports, and ensuring fair competition in all NCAA championships.
During a recent congressional hearing, NCAA President Charlie Baker disclosed that out of the 500,000 NCAA players, there are fewer than 10 transgender athletes. This information was previously withheld by the NCAA, leaving many questions unanswered regarding the number of transgender athletes within their organization.
President-elect Donald Trump has expressed his intention to address what he refers to as “transgender insanity” in schools. He plans to implement measures that would restrict athletes to teams based on their gender assigned at birth.
