WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration concluded that San Jose State University discriminated against women by allowing a transgender athlete to compete in the women’s volleyball team, the U.S. Department of Education said Wednesday.
The department offered San Jose State University an agreement to resolve the case. The California-based university must accept the administration’s definition of “male” and “female,” restore titles and records that Trump officials say were “misappropriated” by male athletes and apologize to female athletes.
University officials had no immediate comment.
The department has taken action against a series of states, schools and colleges that allow transgender athletes to compete, a situation President Donald Trump has pledged to end. If San Jose State rejects the proposed deal, it could face a lawsuit from the Justice Department and risk losing federal funding.
The investigation into San Jose State began in February, along with a similar investigation at the University of Pennsylvania. Penn later agreed to a deal similar to the one proposed to San Jose State University, revising the school record set by transgender swimmer Leah Thomas and apologizing to other athletes on the swim team.
San Jose State violated Title IX of the Gender Equality Act of 1972 by allowing transgender athletes to join the team and allegedly retaliating against players who condemned the decision, department officials said.
“We will not relent until SJSU is held accountable for these violations and are committed to upholding Title IX to protect future athletes from the same indignity,” Kimberly Richey, the Department of Education’s assistant secretary for civil rights, said in a statement.
Nine women’s volleyball players from San Jose State’s volleyball team have drawn national attention after they filed a lawsuit challenging the league’s policy of allowing transgender athletes to compete. Players believe this is unfair and a safety risk.
Several teams suffered losses by refusing to play San Jose State.
San Jose State University has not confirmed it has a transgender player on its volleyball team.
As part of the agreement proposed by the administration, San Jose State must issue a personal apology to every woman who competed on the women’s indoor volleyball team from 2022 to 2024 and the 2023 beach volleyball team, as well as any woman who forgoes playing at San Jose State.
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