CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WVDN) —Attorney General JB McCuskey joined a letter led by Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch urging the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to restore to female athletes the records, titles, awards, and recognitions they earned but were denied because of policies that allowed biological males to compete in female categories.
“Biological men should have never been allowed to compete against biological women in the first place. But thankfully, we are starting to see the country and our policies turn back to a place where women’s rights matter. Restoring these records to these women is the least schools can do to return what was stolen from them,” Attorney General McCuskey said. “This is the right thing to do.”
In the letter, the Attorneys General write, “The policies that were created, promoted, and encouraged by the Biden Administration and the NCAA not only enabled biological men to compete against women in sporting events across the country, but denied deserving women the recognitions they had earned in events that you managed…. While we appreciate the steps the NCAA has taken since then, there is far more the NCAA can do for the women athletes that have competed and continue to compete in your events.”
The Attorneys General continue, “The NCAA should take this step for former athletes to preserve the integrity of Title IX and show your support for the women harmed by years of bad policy. As your website states, ‘Regardless of where they start, student-athletes strive to end each season at one of the NCAA’s 90 championships in 24 sports.’ Women athletes strived, succeeded, and were cheated of what they earned.”
Since taking office, President Trump has been a staunch advocate for female athletes, signing executive orders supporting women’s sports and prioritizing Title IX. In February, the U.S. Department of Education also penned a letter asking the NCAA to validate these recognitions.
West Virginia has also passed the Save Women’s Sports Act, which provides that girls’ sports teams based on “competitive skill” or “involv[ing] … a contact sport” should not be open to biological males. The West Virginia Attorney General’s Office will be defending that law before the U.S. Supreme Court next year.
In addition to Attorney General McCuskey, attorneys general from the following States joined the letter: Mississippi, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia.
You can read the letter here.
