Athletes sue Georgia system, NCAA over transgender policy

Former Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines was among more than a dozen college athletes who filed a lawsuit against the NCAA on Thursday, accusing it of violating their Title IX rights by allowing Lia Thomas to compete at the national championships in 2022.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Atlanta, details the shock Gaines and others felt when they learned they would share a locker room with Thomas at the championships in Atlanta. It documents a number of races they swam in with Thomas, including the 200-yard final in which Thomas and Gaines tied for fifth but Thomas, not Gaines, was handed the fifth-place trophy. Another plaintiff, Tylor Mathieu of Florida, finished ninth in the preliminary heats of the 500 free, which left her one spot from swimming in the final that Thomas later won. Thomas was the first openly transgender athlete to win a Division I title in any sport, finishing in front of three Olympic medalists. By not making the final, Mathieu was denied first-team All-American honors in that event.

The lawsuit said the plaintiffs “bring this case to secure for future generations of women the promise of Title IX that is being denied them and other college women” by the NCAA, which declined to comment. The suit also lists the University of Georgia system as a defendant because Georgia Tech hosted the 2022 championships. The suit seeks to halt the NCAA from employing transgender eligibility policies “which adversely impact female athletes in violation of Title IX” at upcoming events scheduled in Georgia. Representatives from the Georgia schools didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

DAILY NEWS VIA AP 2022 Riley Gaines, a former University of Kentucky swimmer, and others say the NCAA violated their Title IX rights by allowing transgender swimmer Lia Thomas to compete at national championships in 2022. The suit also targets the University of Georgia system because Georgia Tech hosted the event.