WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has concluded that San Jose State University discriminated against women by letting a transgender athlete participate on the women’s volleyball team, as stated by the U.S. Education Department on Wednesday.
The department has offered San Jose State a settlement proposal that would necessitate the university's acknowledgment of the administration’s definitions of “male” and “female,” the restoration of athletic titles and records purportedly misappropriated by male athletes, and an apology to female athletes who were impacted.
University officials have yet to respond to the situation.
The Education Department's actions extend to multiple states, schools, and colleges that permit transgender athletes to compete, aligning with President Donald Trump's commitment to address the issue. If San Jose State opts against the proposed resolution, they may encounter a lawsuit from the Justice Department and face the risk of losing federal funding.
An investigation into San Jose State commenced in February, accompanied by a similar inquiry at the University of Pennsylvania, which ultimately accepted a similar agreement that entailed modifying records set by transgender swimmer Lia Thomas and issuing apologies to teammates.
Department officials indicated that San Jose State's actions enabled a violation of Title IX, the 1972 gender equity law, by allowing a transgender athlete's participation and allegedly retaliating against players who opposed this decision.
Kimberly Richey, assistant secretary for civil rights at the Education Department, remarked, We will not relent until SJSU is held to account for these abuses and commits to upholding Title IX to protect future athletes from the same indignities.
San Jose State’s volleyball team gained national recognition after nine student athletes in the Mountain West Conference filed a lawsuit against the league's policies that permit transgender athletes to compete. They voiced concerns about fairness and potential safety risks associated with this participation.
Several teams subsequently refused to compete against San Jose State, resulting in losses.
San Jose State has not confirmed whether its volleyball team includes a transgender player.
As per the administration's terms, San Jose State would be required to send personalized apologies to every female who played on the women’s indoor volleyball team from 2022 through 2024 and those on the 2023 beach volleyball team, including females who chose to forfeit rather than play against the university.
This report has been amended to clarify that the lawsuit against the league was initiated by nine student athletes from the Mountain West Conference, not specifically from players on the San Jose State volleyball team.
