UPDATE: Swarthmore College is at the center of a developing legal battle after allegations surfaced that it reinstated transgender athlete Evelyn Parts to the women’s track team, despite new NCAA rules prohibiting males from competing in women’s sports. The lawsuit, filed this week, marks Parts as the third transgender athlete in a month to sue a U.S. college over similar issues.
In a statement provided to Fox News Digital, Swarthmore emphasized its commitment to supporting transgender individuals while balancing competitive fairness. “We recognize that this is an especially difficult and painful time for members of the transgender community, including student-athletes,” the statement read. “Given the pending litigation, we will not comment any further.”
Background: Parts alleges that in February, shortly after the NCAA revised its gender eligibility policy following President Donald Trump‘s executive order on “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” she was informed she could no longer compete on the women’s team. However, she claims she was “fully reinstated” on April 11, allowing her to compete until her graduation in May. Parts is noted as the winner of the women’s 10,000 meters at the Bill Butler Invitational and participated in the Paul Donahue Invite and Centennial Championships.
Parts’ attorney, Susie Cirilli, stated, “We stand by the allegations in the complaint. The NCAA is a private organization that issued a bigoted policy. Swarthmore chose to follow that policy and disregard federal and state law.”
The controversy surrounding transgender athletes continues to escalate. If Parts’ allegations hold, Swarthmore would not be the first institution to allow a biological male to compete in women’s sports post-NCAA rule change. Earlier this year, Ithaca College faced scrutiny for permitting a trans athlete to compete in a Division III rowing event due to a “misunderstanding” among coaches. The NCAA clarified that such participation, if it occurs, results in the team being classified as mixed, thus ineligible for women’s competitions.
Former U.S. President Joe Biden had previously issued an executive order safeguarding the rights of trans athletes, while the NCAA’s former policy allowed them to compete in women’s sports. However, the participation of trans athletes like Lia Thomas has led to multiple lawsuits against various institutions, including Swarthmore, highlighting the ongoing conflicts in collegiate sports.
The Department of Education has already acted against several universities over trans inclusion issues. They reached agreements with UPenn regarding Thomas’ participation and similar resolutions with Wagner College concerning former trans fencer Redmond Sullivan. The investigation into San Jose State remains ongoing as part of the broader scrutiny.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the NCAA for further comments on Parts’ lawsuit, but no response has been issued at this time. As the situation unfolds, it is crucial to monitor how this lawsuit will impact not only Swarthmore College but also the larger discourse on transgender athletes in collegiate sports.
Stay tuned for more updates as this story develops.