Riley Gaines has secured a huge win in her bitter legal battle to kick biological men out of women’s sport, it was reported on Thursday night.
The conservative activist and former collegiate swimmer has been outspoken in her criticism of transgender athletes, and is leading a group of 19 former and current female athletes in suing the NCAA.
It was reported by Outkick that a federal judge in Atlanta ruled on Thursday that the Title IX claims against the governing body can move forward to the next stage, in a big win for Gaines and her fellow female athletes.
The lawsuit surrounds NCAA policies that have allowed biological male athletes to compete in women’s sports, and stems from the 2022 NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships, in which Lia Thomas won a national title.
At that event, Thomas – a biological male – used the women’s locker rooms, showers and restrooms, after Georgia Tech hosted under an NCAA agreement that gave the association operational control of the venue.
‘[Thomas] was full naked and, of course, full intact inches away from where we, 18-, 19-, 20-year-old girls, were fully undressed,’ Gaines told Fox News in March.
Riley Gaines has been a critic of trans athletes in women’s sports for the past few years
The lawsuit stems from when Gaines (right) competed against biological male Lia Thomas (left) at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships in 2022
The original lawsuit named Georgia officials and the Georgia Tech Athletic Association but the court has now dismissed those, keeping only the NCAA as a defendant in the case as Gaines and Co seek to hold them accountable for previous policies that allowed transgender athletes to compete.
While the case is allowed to progress, the court also threw out two further claims against the association, keeping only the Title IX claim – and the suit will now center around deciding whether the NCAA received federal funding.
Gaines herself has become the de facto spokesperson for kicking transgender athletes out of women’s sport, regularly appearing in the media to give her views on the controversial matter.
The lawsuit against the NCAA was first filed in March of last year, and Gaines’ attorney Bill Bock – of the Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS) praised the court’s decision to allow the case to proceed.
‘We agree with the aspects of Judge Johnson’s order that permit this important lawsuit to proceed against the NCAA,’ Bock said.
Thomas won a national championship after competing against Gaines back in 2022
President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning transgender athletes in sports
‘The NCAA has for years erroneously claimed it cannot be held accountable under Title IX, even though the NCAA controls significant aspects of college athletics for colleges and universities which receive federal funding.
‘Judge Johnson’s ruling is a significant step forward for Plaintiffs in this lawsuit, and we are pleased to be able to move forward with the lawsuit.
‘We will now move on to the discovery phase and look forward to proving that the NCAA is fully accountable under Title IX.’
In a statement to Fox News, a spokesperson for the NCAA responded: ‘College sports remain the premier stage for women’s sports in America, and the Association and its members will continue to promote Title IX, make unprecedented investments in women’s sports and ensure fair competition in NCAA championships. The NCAA’s transgender participation policy aligns with the Trump Administration’s order.’
