Trans athlete sues Swarthmore, NCAA, alleging discriminationKatie Barnes
Aug 15, 2025
Former Swarthmore track and field athlete Evelyn Parts sued Swarthmore College, several athletic department officials and the NCAA on Thursday, claiming they discriminated against her because she is a transgender woman.
The lawsuit, which was filed in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, claims that the defendants violated Parts' Title IX rights, inflicted emotional distress and engaged in a civil conspiracy.
The NCAA banned transgender women from competing in women's sports on Feb. 6, a day after President Donald Trump's executive order authorized federal agencies to penalize schools that allow transgender girls and women to compete in girls' and women's sports. Previously, the NCAA allowed transgender women to compete in women's sports if they met sport-specific requirements.
"We stand by the allegations in the complaint," said Parts' attorney, Susan Cirilli. "The NCAA is a private organization that issued a bigoted policy. Swarthmore chose to follow that policy and disregard federal and state law."
The NCAA did not respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit or to questions about how its current policy is enforced. Officials from Swarthmore College, a Division III school in Pennsylvania, also did not respond to a request for comment.
According to the lawsuit, Parts transitioned as a junior in high school. She enrolled at Swarthmore in the fall of 2020 and became a member of the women's cross country and track teams. But she did not compete until 2023 due to cancellations from the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery from gender-affirmation surgery.
The lawsuit stated that beginning in 2023, Parts competed for Swarthmore for her final two years of college and was named as a captain of the women's track and field team in the fall of 2024. After the NCAA amended its policy, Swarthmore gave Parts two options to continue competing in track and field: compete in men's competition or compete unattached to the college. As an unattached athlete, Parts was not allowed to receive coaching, travel, financial support or medical support from Swarthmore, according to the lawsuit.
Parts was reinstated as a member of the women's track and field team on April 11, after competing unattached in two meets, according to the filing. Following her reinstatement, she competed in three meets, including the Centennial Conference championships, where she placed 13th in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and 12th in the 10,000 meters.
Last month, another transgender runner sued Princeton University, alleging that the school illegally removed her from a race because of her gender identity.
https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/45987714/transgender-athlete-evelyn-parts-sues-swarthmore-ncaa-alleging-discrimination
