Texas sues NCAA for men in women’s sports, alleging ‘deceptive’ practices.

Press room in Washington, DC, December 27, 2024 / 09:00

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), claiming that allowing men in women’s sports is a “false, misleading and deceptive” advertising practice.

The NCAA, which is the largest collegiate sports association, allows biological males who identify as transgender women to compete in women-only sports if they reduce their testosterone levels through testosterone suppressants.

Under NCAA ruleseach specific sport has a maximum testosterone level for a biological male to be eligible to compete in female competition. Athletes are required to provide documentation several times a year to show their testosterone levels.

The lawsuit alleges that the NCAA “advertises and sells goods and services” as women’s sporting events, but in reality offers “co-ed sporting events in which men can compete against women.” It claims the practice is “designed to confuse consumers” and constitutes a deceptive trade practice in violation of state law.

In a statementPaxton accused the NCAA of “intentionally and knowingly endangering the safety and welfare of women by deceptively changing women’s competitions to mixed competitions.”

“When people watch a women’s volleyball match, for example, they expect to see women playing against other women — not biological men pretending to be something they’re not,” Paxton said.

When reached for comment by CNA, an NCAA spokesman declined to comment on the specific litigation, but provided a statement saying its policies promote Title IX — a federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in schools, colleges and other educational institutions. .

“College sports is the premier stage for women’s sports in America, and while the NCAA does not comment on ongoing litigation, the association and its members will continue to promote Title IX, make unprecedented investments in women’s sports and ensure a competitive loyal in all NCAAs. championships”, the press release states.

Paxton’s lawsuit, however, states that “most consumers know that a ‘woman’ means an adult human female,” adding that “most importantly, it’s how Texas consumers understand the word.”

The lawsuit states that consumers who purchase goods and services related to women’s sports “enjoy watching women compete against women” rather than “men compete against women” and that they “make these purchases to support women’s empowerment and fair competition among women.”

“The impact of women’s sport on the self-esteem, academic achievement, future employment and development of women and girls is profound and lasting,” the lawsuit continues. “Men competing in women’s sports are inherently unfair and unsafe because of their physiological advantages.”

Paxton’s lawsuit also claims that consumers don’t support women’s sports “to watch men steal medals and records from female participants.” It adds: “When consumers purchased goods and services associated with women’s sporting events only to discover a man competing, they invariably reacted with revulsion and outrage.”

“The NCAA fails to disclose that some of its women’s sports events are co-ed events with the intent to induce consumers who wish to support women’s sports to purchase the associated goods and services,” the lawsuit continues. “Many consumers would not purchase goods and services associated with NCAA women’s sporting events if they knew biological males were participating.”

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Lubbock, asks the court to prohibit the NCAA from allowing biological males in women’s sports for all sporting events held in Texas or involving Texas teams, or to require the NCAA to stop marketing events with the word “women’s” if biological males are allowed to participate.

About half of the states in the country restrict girls’ and women’s high school and college athletics to only biological girls and women, but many states allow biological men to compete in girls’ and women’s athletics if they self-identify as transgender girls or women. .

US President Joe Biden’s Department of Education (DOE) regulations issued in April, which redefined Title IX’s ban on sex discrimination to include a ban on discrimination against someone’s self-reported gender identity. The administration considered further amending the rule to explicitly require schools and colleges to allow biological males in girls’ and women’s athletic competitions — if they identify as transgender girls or women — but abandoned that effort.

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Several state attorneys general sued the DOE over its April reinterpretation, saying the interpretation is inconsistent with federal law that was enacted in 1972. The judges they blocked enforcement of DOE rules in 26 states. Some jurists warned that the rules could have overturned state laws restricting women’s sports, locker rooms, bathrooms and dormitories to only biological girls and women.

Tyler Arnold is a staff reporter for the Catholic News Agency based in EWTN News’ Washington Bureau. He previously worked at The Center Square and has been published in a variety of publications, including The Associated Press, National Review, The American Conservative and The Federalist.