The Trump administration has concluded that San Jose State University discriminated against women by permitting a transgender athlete to compete on its women’s volleyball team, the US Education Department announced on Wednesday.
The department has presented San Jose State with a resolution deal. Under its terms, the California-based university would be required to adopt the administration’s definitions of "male" and "female," reinstate titles and records that officials claim were "misappropriated by male athletes," and issue an apology to female athletes.
University officials have yet to comment on the matter.
This action is part of a broader campaign by the Trump administration against states, schools, and colleges that allow transgender athletes, a policy President Donald Trump has pledged to end.
Should San Jose State reject the proposed agreement, it could face a lawsuit from the Justice Department and risk losing crucial federal funding.
The investigation into San Jose State commenced in February, running concurrently with a similar inquiry at the University of Pennsylvania. Penn subsequently agreed to a comparable deal, which involved modifying school records set by transgender swimmer Lia Thomas and apologising to other members of the swim team.
Department officials assert that San Jose State violated Title IX, a 1972 gender equity law, by allowing a transgender athlete on the team and for allegedly retaliating against players who voiced opposition to the decision.
Kimberly Richey, assistant secretary for civil rights at the Education Department, stated: "We will not relent until SJSU is held to account for these abuses and commits to upholding Title IX to protect future athletes from the same indignities."
San Jose State’s volleyball team garnered national attention after nine players filed a lawsuit challenging the league’s policies on transgender athlete participation, arguing it was unfair and posed a safety risk. Several opposing teams reportedly refused to play against San Jose State, resulting in forfeitures.
San Jose State has not publicly confirmed the presence of a transgender player on its volleyball team.
As part of the administration’s proposed deal, the university would be compelled to send a personalised apology to every woman who played on the women’s indoor volleyball team from 2022 through 2024, on the 2023 beach volleyball team, and to any woman who forfeited a match rather than compete against San Jose State.
