Transgender Athlete Evie Parts Sues NCAA and Swarthmore College

Evie Parts, a long-distance runner, has filed a lawsuit against the NCAA and Swarthmore College. She’s also suing several members of Swarthmore’s athletic department.

The lawsuit claims Parts was kicked off the track team because she’s a transgender athlete. All of this comes as new policies and executive orders try to restrict transgender athletes in sports.

The Lawsuit: Key Allegations and Parties Involved

Parts’ lawsuit targets the NCAA and Swarthmore College, saying they broke both state and federal laws. She names specific people at Swarthmore, like track coach Peter Carroll, athletic director Brad Koch, and athletics officials Christina Epps-Chiazor and Valerie Gomez.

The complaint says these actions pushed Parts into a deep depression, and she ended up hurting herself. It’s a heavy accusation, and the details are tough to read.

Grounds for the Lawsuit

Parts’ lawyers argue the NCAA doesn’t have the right to ban transgender athletes in women’s sports. They say the NCAA can’t override Pennsylvania law or Title IX.

Swarthmore College, according to the lawsuit, just went along with the NCAA’s policy and ignored the laws that should protect Parts. Her attorney, Susie Cirilli, calls the NCAA’s stance both discriminatory and unfair.

NCAA’s Policy Change and Its Implications

This all blew up on February 6, when the NCAA rolled out a new rule. Now, only athletes assigned female at birth can compete in women’s sports.

That policy landed right after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to ban transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports. As you’d expect, the move stirred up a lot of anger and lawsuits.

Pennsylvania’s Legislative Landscape

Meanwhile, Pennsylvania’s Senate passed a bill on May 6 to ban transgender athletes from women’s and girls’ sports at all levels. But the state’s House—run by Democrats—probably won’t even vote on it.

It’s hard to ignore how this political backdrop makes Parts’ lawsuit even more complicated. The fight over transgender athletes’ rights isn’t just legal—it’s political, too.

Impact on Evie Parts and Her Athletic Career

Evie Parts joined Swarthmore’s track team in fall 2020. She took a break for the next four winter and spring seasons.

She came back in 2023 to compete in indoor and outdoor track, plus cross country. After the NCAA changed its policy, Swarthmore told her she could only compete with the men’s team or as an unattached athlete.

This decision cut her off from team support and limited her ability to participate. It must’ve felt isolating.

Restrictions and Reinstatement

The lawsuit says Parts couldn’t get coaching, medical help, or travel with the team unless she joined the men’s squad. She couldn’t wear a Swarthmore uniform and had to pay her own way into meets.

Things changed on April 11, when she was fully reinstated and allowed to compete with the women’s team again. She raced until graduation in May and even won the 10,000 meters at the Bill Butler Invitational that April.

Legal and Social Implications

This lawsuit highlights the bigger questions around policies that affect transgender athletes. It’s not just about one runner—it’s about how we balance inclusivity and fairness in sports.

Should private organizations get to make these calls? That’s up for debate, and the outcome here could shape what happens next for transgender athletes in college sports.

Support and Opposition

Advocacy groups and legal experts are watching closely. Supporters say the NCAA’s policy is discriminatory and violates transgender athletes’ rights.

Opponents argue these rules are needed for fair competition in women’s sports. The debate keeps raging, and honestly, it’s not going away anytime soon.