WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has concluded that San Jose State University (SJSU) discriminated against women by allowing a transgender athlete to play on the women’s volleyball team, according to a statement released by the U.S. Education Department on Wednesday.
The department proposed a resolution which requires SJSU to acknowledge the administration’s definitions of male and female, restore titles and records that officials claim were wrongfully recorded by male athletes, and apologize to female athletes affected by these decisions.
University representatives did not respond immediately for comments.
In a broader initiative, the department has been addressing allegations against various states, schools, and colleges regarding their policies that permit transgender athletes, a stance that the Trump administration has vowed to eradicate. Should SJSU decline the offered resolution, they could face legal action from the Justice Department and the threat of losing federal funding.
The investigation into SJSU began in February, closely following a similar inquiry at the University of Pennsylvania. The University of Pennsylvania later reached an agreement similar to the one presented to SJSU, addressing issues around records set by transgender swimmer Lia Thomas and apologizing to other athletes involved with the swim team.
Department officials argue that SJSU breached Title IX, a critical gender equity law established in 1972, by permitting a transgender athlete on the team and allegedly retaliating against players who opposed the decision.
“We will not relent until SJSU is held accountable for these abuses and commits to upholding Title IX to safeguard future athletes from similar indignities,” stated Kimberly Richey, assistant secretary for civil rights at the Education Department.
The volleyball team at SJSU gained national attention after nine student athletes within the Mountain West Conference filed a lawsuit challenging the league’s policies that allow transgender athletes to compete, claiming it is an unfair practice and poses safety risks.
Some teams opted not to compete against SJSU, resulting in lost matches.
As part of the proposed resolution, SJSU would need to extend personalized apologies to every woman who participated in the women's indoor volleyball team from 2022 to 2024, along with members of the 2023 beach volleyball team, including any woman who forfeited rather than compete against SJSU.
This story has been clarified to indicate that the lawsuit challenging league policies was filed by nine student athletes in the Mountain West Conference and not specifically players from the SJSU volleyball team.
