Santa Rosa JC players file Title IX complaint over transgender teammate
Title IX was passed by Congress in 1972, and outlawed discrimination on the basis of sex at educational institutions receiving federal funding. While the eligibility of transgender athletes to participate in athletic competition is not explicitly covered by Title IX, the Department of Education has observed different standards for their participation in women’s sports under different administrations.
Shiwali Patel, an attorney, Title IX expert and director of Safe and Inclusive Schools with the National Women’s Law Center in Washington, D.C., said the complaint amounts to an argument that “Title IX is a way to require discrimination against trans students playing sports. Unfortunately, they’re filing with an administration that is sympathetic to the weaponization of Title IX.”
Earlier this year, President Donald Trump issued executive orders targeting LGBTQ+ rights, though executive orders can’t undermine or mitigate federal law.