Concerned Women For America recently filed a formal civil rights complaint against the University of Pennsylvania, claiming that under Title IX with the U.S. Department of Education, the school refused to protect the rights of its college female athletes under federal law.
Concerned Women for America (CWA) recently filed a formal civil rights complaint against the University of Pennsylvania, claiming that under Title IX with the U.S. Department of Education, the school refused to protect the rights of its college female athletes under federal law.
The complaint comes soon after 22-year-old Lia Thomas (formerly William Thomas), a transgender athlete at the university who identifies as a woman, won the national title in the 500-yard freestyle at the NCAA women’s swimming and diving championships.
University of Virginia freshman Emma Weyant finished second to Thomas in the final, 1.75 seconds off the winning pace.
Here’s a portion of the complaint text, according to Breitbart: “[Lia] Thomas is anatomically and biologically a male with physical capacities that are different from anatomically and biologically female athletes, which extends an unfair advantage and strips female student-athletes of opportunities afforded to them by law.”
The complaint also cites reports that Thomas’ own teammates have complained about the school allowing a hostile environment to fester in its locker room which has put them in apprehension.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the implementation of Title IX, a civil rights law which expressly prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or other education program that receives funding from the federal government.
Within that statute, CWA asserts Thomas’ inclusion on the women’s swim team discriminated against other women, thus making the swimming competition unfair.
“The future of women’s sports is at risk and the equal rights of female athletes are being infringed,” said Penny Nance, CEO and president of CWA, in a statement.
“We filed a formal civil rights complaint against UPenn in response to this injustice. Any school that defies federal civil rights law by denying women equal opportunities in athletic programs, forcing women to compete against athletes who are biologically male must be held accountable,” said Nance.
Concerned Women for America is a public policy organization that “protects and promotes Biblical values and Constitutional principles through prayer, education, and advocacy,” according to its standards.
Whether the federal courts will be obligated to rule on any new interpretations of Title IX, namely situations involving transgender athletes that might not have been realized a half-century ago, remains to be seen. In the meantime, CWA demands a clear line separating those who compete in men’s and women’s athletic competitions.
“A great injustice is being committed against women student-athletes at UPenn and beyond in direct violation of federal law,” said Katie Everett, CWA press secretary, according to Campus Reform.
Everett added: “The violations are compounded in that colleges and universities are allowing a hostile environment to fester which threatens female athletes’ entire college careers and even future earning opportunities, if they dare to speak out against these unfair policies.”
The New York Post reports that prior to competing as a transgender athlete, Thomas swam for three years on Pennsylvania’s men’s team before transitioning. Thomas then sat out a year of competition to undergo testosterone suppression treatment.
According to Breitbart, Thomas previously ranked No. 462 in the men’s swimming division.
Reporting by Newsmax.
