### Republican Lawmakers Urge Ban on Transgender Athletes in Collegiate Sports

A coalition of Republican legislators is calling on the Mountain West Conference to prohibit transgender women from participating in women’s sports. This appeal comes in the wake of reports suggesting a transgender student has been competing in the women's volleyball team at one of the conference’s universities.

In a letter addressed to the conference commissioner, the lawmakers argue that allowing transgender women to compete in women’s sports violates Title IX sex discrimination laws and the conference's gender equity policies. "Permitting biological men to play in women's sports is not equitable; it is an injustice," the letter states. The lawmakers insist that biological males should compete in men's sports and biological females in women's sports. They also criticize the Mountain West Conference for failing to uphold these guidelines.

The group of signatories includes prominent Republicans from states housing the conference's schools. This includes Senators Mitt Romney and Mike Lee, along with Representatives John Curtis, Blake Moore, Burgess Owens, and Celeste Maloy of Utah; Senators Mike Crapo and James Risch, and Representatives Russ Fulcher and Mike Simpson of Idaho; and Senators John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis, and Representative Harriet Hageman of Wyoming.

This letter follows ongoing debate over the gender identity of a San Jose State University women's volleyball team member. Although neither the university nor the player has been officially named, the situation has sparked significant controversy. Brooke Slusser, another SJSU player, is part of a group of female athletes suing the NCAA for allegedly violating their Title IX rights by allowing transgender women to compete. This legal action references high-profile cases, such as that of Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer from the University of Pennsylvania who made headlines in 2022.

Recently, Slusser and ten other athletes from the Mountain West Conference filed a separate lawsuit against the conference and three SJSU staff members, accusing them of Title IX violations.

As a result of the controversy, at least five women’s volleyball teams from Mountain West Conference schools, including Utah State University, the University of Wyoming, Boise State University, the University of Nevada, and Southern Utah University, have forfeited matches against SJSU.

In response, Michelle Smith McDonald, a spokesperson for SJSU, emphasized that the university's athletes comply with NCAA and conference policies and are eligible to compete accordingly. She condemned the use of students for political agendas and affirmed that SJSU remains dedicated to the safety and inclusivity of its athletes.

The transgender athlete at the center of this dispute has not responded to several requests for comment.