FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 4, 2025

NEW YORK, NY — Women’s Justice NOW (WJN) is calling on the National Collegiate Athletic Association to take immediate action and restore athletic titles, records, and scholarship opportunities to female athletes who were displaced by male competitors in women’s sports.

This call to action follows a new directive from the U.S. Department of Education, which concluded that allowing male-bodied athletes to compete in the female category — and to hold women’s records and titles — violates Title IX, the federal civil rights law protecting equal opportunity based on sex.

“This is about restoring fairness,” said Sonia Ossorio, Executive Director of Women’s Justice NOW. “We stand with the female athletes who have valiantly fought to protect the integrity of women’s sports. They deserve their titles and our gratitude. NOW has a proud history of advocating for women’s sports equality and being part of the historic win for Title IX protections.”

WJN is urging the NCAA to follow the recent example of the University of Pennsylvania, which revoked the women’s swimming title awarded to transgender swimmer Lia Thomas and recognize Olympian Emma Weyant as the rightful first place winner. This correction honors both the integrity of women’s sports and the intent of Title IX.

Ossorio added, “The NCAA now has clear federal guidance and a powerful precedent to follow. Collegiate women athletes deserve to have their records restored, and their achievements properly recognized.”

Correcting the record brings past records in alignment with all future records as part of the NCAA’s new policy intended to preclude males from competing in women’s sports.

WJN warns that failure to act sends a message to girls and young women across the country that their opportunities are negotiable, and their hard work can be erased for the sake of inclusion that comes at their expense.