FEBRUARY 7, 2025|
Photo – Lia Thomas – Courtesy Wikipedia
The Trump administration has turned its attention to two major universities, including San Jose State, for violating the new title IX rules excluding transgender athletes from competing in women’s collegiate sports.
The other school is the University of Pennsylvania. Both institutions support transgender athletes. The University of Wyoming and some other Mountain West volleyball teams refused to play San Jose State this season because one of the Spartans players was born a man.
Now that President Donald Trump has signed an executive order banning athletes born as males from competing in women’s sports, the Department of Education is looking at both schools and their practice concerning trans athletes.
In a statement on Thursday, the federal Department of Education said the investigations are under way into both schools because of the reported Title IX violations.
The University of Pennsylvania allowed transgender swimmer Lia Thomas to compete on its women’s team in the NCAA Championships in 2022. Thomas’ switch to women sports, and winning medals and trophies after failing as a male athlete in collegiate swimming, helped launch the Save Women’s Sports Movement.
Blaire Flemming at San Jose State sparked other volleyball teams, including UW in Laramie, to boycott games against the Spartans.
Both UPenn and SJSU are battling lawsuits over the issue.
The Trump Administration has drawn a legal line on the issue by banning trans athletes from women’s and girls’ sports.
The Department of Education statement reads, “President Trump’s Executive Order “keeping men out of Women’s Sports” is a promise to women and girls: this administration will not tolerate the mistreatment of female athletes.”
