Transgender athlete Evie Parts initiates legal action against the NCAA and Swarthmore College, alleging wrongful expulsion from the track team.
In a recent development, transgender athlete Evelyn Parts has filed a lawsuit against the NCAA and Swarthmore College, alleging discrimination and violation of Title IX rights. The lawsuit comes in the wake of the NCAA's policy change on transgender athletes in women's sports, which Parts argues is discriminatory and disregards federal and state law.
The lawsuit, filed by attorney Susie Cirilli, claims that the NCAA issued a policy that Swarthmore College chose to follow, which is in violation of federal and state law. The policy change, made by the NCAA on February 6, 2025, prohibits athletes assigned male at birth from competing in women's sports, a reversal from previous policies that allowed participation based on gender identity after meeting certain criteria.
Evelyn Parts, a former member of the Swarthmore College track team, joined the team in the fall of 2020 and competed until graduating in May 2023. However, she was removed from the team on February 6, the same day the NCAA issued its new policy. After her removal, Parts was told she could compete with the men's team or as an unattached athlete.
The lawsuit alleges that the actions of the defendants caused Parts to experience a depressive state, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts. It also states that Parts could not pay her way into meets and that she would only receive medical treatment if she competed on the men's team. Furthermore, Parts was not allowed to be coached by Peter Carroll and his staff, was not allowed to travel with the team, receive per diem or food, or wear a Swarthmore uniform.
The lawsuit names several athletic department members and specific individuals, including Peter Carroll, Brad Koch, Christina Epps-Chiazor, and Valerie Gomez. It claims that the NCAA's ban on transgender athletes in women's sports lacks legal grounds because it is a private organization without jurisdiction over Pennsylvania state law or Title IX federal statute.
The NCAA and Swarthmore College have not responded to requests for comment regarding the lawsuit. The NCAA has not commented on how it enforces its current policy, and Swarthmore College officials have also not responded to requests for comment.
The legal status of the NCAA's policy on transgender athletes in women's sports is currently the subject of ongoing legal challenges and a broader shift in policies related to transgender athletes in sports. The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) also banned transgender women from women's sports in July 2025, citing compliance with federal expectations. The Supreme Court is set to hear cases challenging state laws that mandate sports participation based on sex at birth, which could further impact the legal landscape for transgender athletes in sports.
Meanwhile, the Pennsylvania state Senate approved a bill to ban transgender athletes from competing in women's and girls' sports at the collegiate and K-12 levels by a 32-18 margin on May 6. However, the state's Democratic-controlled House of Representatives is not expected to vote on the bill. The future of transgender athletes in sports remains uncertain as these legal battles continue to unfold.
In light of the ongoing legal disputes, Evelyn Parts, the plaintiff, has accused the NCAA and Swarthmore College of infringing on her education-and-self-development rights by eliminating her from the track team, a move she deems unjust and against her Title IX rights. Despite Parts' successful tenure on the college track team, her sports career faced an abrupt halt when the NCAA's sports policy, which Swarthmore College followed, was modified on February 6, 2025, barring individuals assigned male at birth from participating in women's sports.
