The U.S. Department of Education issued a formal request Tuesday urging major athletic organizations to strip records, titles, and awards from transgender women who previously competed in women's sports categories.
In a letter to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), the department called for restoring accolades to biological female athletes, claiming the achievements were "misappropriated" by transgender competitors.
The move follows President Trump's recent executive order barring transgender women from participating in female sports at institutions receiving federal funding. The NCAA has already updated its policy to restrict women's sports competition to athletes assigned female at birth.
"The Trump Education Department will do everything in our power to right this wrong and champion the hard-earned accomplishments of past, current, and future female collegiate athletes," said Candice Jackson, deputy general counsel at the Education Department.
The department's action could impact notable cases like Lia Thomas, who in 2022 became the first transgender woman to win an NCAA championship in the 500-yard freestyle swimming event. While the NCAA may have authority to modify its record books, implementing changes at the high school level would likely require coordination with individual state athletic associations.
Former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines, who tied for fifth place with Thomas in a 2022 NCAA championship event, supported the department's request: "Restoring stolen athletic accolades to their rightful owners is a step towards reinstating accountability, integrity, and common sense."
The NCAA reported that among its roughly 500,000 championship sports athletes, fewer than 10 are known to be transgender. Neither the NCAA nor NFHS immediately responded to requests for comment on the Education Department's directive.
The executive order faces potential legal challenges, as courts have already blocked similar state-level restrictions in Arizona, Idaho, Utah, and West Virginia.