Transgender runner Evie Parts takes legal action against NCAA and Swarthmore College over sports ban

Evie Parts, a long-distance runner from Towson, Maryland, has filed a lawsuit against the NCAA and Swarthmore College. She claims she was unlawfully removed from the college’s women’s track team due to her transgender identity. The lawsuit challenges the NCAA’s policy banning transgender athletes from women’s sports, arguing it lacks legal authority as the NCAA is a private organization and does not supersede federal or Pennsylvania state law, including Title IX. In her lawsuit, Evie Parts contends that the NCAA’s ban on transgender athletes in women’s sports is legally invalid. She was removed from Swarthmore College’s women’s track team on February 6, 2025, the same day the NCAA implemented its new policy. Swarthmore's men's and women's track coach Peter Carroll, athletic director Brad Koch, and athletics officials Christina Epps-Chiazor and Valerie Gomez are among the names in the lawsuit. The complaint says that the acts carried out by these people resulted in great emotional suffering for Parts, including suicidal ideation and self-harm.Attorney Susie Cirilli, representing Parts, stated, “We stand by the allegations in the complaint. As stated in the complaint, the NCAA is a private organization that issued a bigoted policy. Swarthmore College chose to follow that policy and … .”Also Read: “No Right To Play Sports”: AB Hernandez Transgender Athlete Faces Explosive Outrage As Riverside Poly Quits Girls Volleyball GameSwarthmore College responded to the lawsuit by acknowledging the challenges faced during the implementation of evolving policies. The college emphasized its commitment to supporting transgender community members, including student-athletes, while balancing the ability for … . Given the pending litigation, the college refrained from providing further comments. Despite the initial removal, the lawsuit indicates that Evie Parts was “fully reinstated” to the women’s track team on April 11, 2025. She competed successfully until her graduation in May 2025, including winning the 10,000 meters at the Bill Butler Invitational in April.