After nearly a year of investigation, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) said a Connecticut policy which allowed male students identifying as female to compete in athletic competitions against biologically female students violated Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The decision came in response to a complaint filed last year against the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference by several female track athletes who argued that transgender “female” runners had an unfair physical advantage. It could force the state to change course to keep federal funding, and could influence others to do the same.

A letter from OCR stated it would, “either initiate administrative proceedings to suspend, terminate, or refuse to grant or continue and defer financial assistance” to the conference or refer the case to the U.S. Department of Justice. The federal decision carries implications beyond Connecticut, according to Roger Brooks, an attorney for the Alliance Defending Freedom, which represents the girls who brought the complaint.

“Around the nation, districts are going to want to be reading this, because it does have legal implications,” he said. “It is a first decision from the agency charged with enforcing Title IX addressing the question of whether males on the playing field or on the track are depriving girls of opportunities consistent with Title IX.”

The American Civil Liberties Union’s lawyers for the transgender athletes have argued the transgender students are on equal footing with the biological girls they are competing against.

News Sources:

Department Of Education Rules Connecticut Policy Allowing Male Students To Compete In Women’s Sports Violates Title IX

US: Transgender sports inclusion violates others’ rights