In a move to address the contentious issue of transgender participation in collegiate sports, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, together with Mississippi's Lynn Fitch and other officials from 28 jurisdictions, have called for the NCAA to reinstate women's sports records they claim were erased due to policies allowing transgender women to compete in women's events. Their collective stance, as reported by the Missouri Attorney General's Office, suggests that such actions undermine the integrity of women's sports and dishonor the accomplishments of cisgender female athletes.
AG Bailey charged that female athletic achievements were wiped away and replaced by records set by "biological males". He added, "These women champions earned those records. They trained, competed, and won, only to have their victories stolen." A sentiment to similarly echoed by AG Fitch, who stated, "Female collegiate athletes trained, competed, and triumphed- only to see their recognitions stripped away and devalued by unfair policies that ignored biology," according to the statement obtained from the Missouri AG's office. Their request seeks to squarely address to follow through on the cornerstone intent of Title IX, which is designed to ensure gender equity in education and sports.
The letter from the attorneys general contends that the NCAA's decisions in this arena have not only allowed transgender women to compete against cisgender women but also denied the latter the recognitions for their achievements. This, they argue, is a clear contravention of Title IX's principles. The attorneys general urge the NCAA to take corrective action, not just for past athletes but for the future of women's sports.
Under President Donald Trump's administration, efforts to bolster support for women's sports included executive orders aimed at protecting the primacy of Title IX in collegiate athletics. The U.S. Department of Education, in February, also wrote a letter asking the NCAA to validate the achievements of female athletes that were contested due to the participation of transgender women in sports. AG Bailey concluded, "I will always stand up for the women and girls who are being pushed to the sidelines by unfair and unlawful policies. The NCAA must act now to restore fairness and give these top athletes the recognition they rightfully earned."
The other states joining the effort, led by Missouri and Mississippi, include Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Collectively they seek to redefine the battlefield of collegiate sport, positing that the records and titles in question ought to reflect a certain biological interpretation that aligns with their view of Title IX's original intent.
