Austin, Texas – Attorney General Ken Paxton Sues NCAA Over Transgender Athletes in Women’s Sports
On December 25, 2024, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced a lawsuit against the NCAA, aiming to prevent transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports. The lawsuit, filed in a Lubbock district court, claims that the NCAA is violating the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act by promoting women’s sports that may allow transgender athletes.
The lawsuit argues that fans are potentially being misled about the nature of the competition when transgender athletes participate in women’s sports. Paxton stated, “When people watch a women’s volleyball game, for example, they expect to see women playing against other women, not biological males pretending to be something they are not.” He claimed that this practice jeopardizes the safety and well-being of female athletes.
This legal action is part of a broader trend where conservative lawmakers are pushing for restrictions on transgender athletes. Notably, President-elect Donald Trump has advocated for similar changes in sports policies at national levels. Paxton’s lawsuit seeks either an injunction to block transgender athletes from competing in Texas or requires the NCAA to stop labeling events as “women’s” if transgender athletes are included.
Amid this ongoing debate, NCAA President Charlie Baker addressed Congress, indicating that he was aware of fewer than ten active NCAA athletes identifying as transgender among the over 544,000 athletes across 19,000 teams nationwide. The NCAA has policies in place allowing transgender athletes who were assigned male at birth to compete in women’s sports, provided they undergo at least a year of testosterone suppression therapy.
In a public response to the lawsuit, the NCAA reiterated its commitment to promoting Title IX and investing in women’s sports while maintaining fair competition. Brooke Slusser, a co-captain of the San Jose State volleyball team, expressed her support for the lawsuit on social media, stating that the fight over this issue will continue to grow until changes are made.
The NCAA’s existing policy attempts to balance competitiveness and inclusivity, adapting its guidelines in 2022 to align more closely with national governing bodies and international standards. Nevertheless, as the dialogue surrounding transgender athletes in sports continues, this lawsuit brings new attention to the challenges faced in the evolving landscape of college athletics.
