Federal court allows Riley Gaines’s Title IX case against NCAA to move forward over transgender athletes in women’s sports

A federal judge in Atlanta ruled Thursday that Riley Gaines’s lawsuit against the NCAA can move forward on the Title IX claims, a decision that preserves the case’s path toward a potential trial. U.S. District Judge Johnson allowed the Title IX portion to proceed while narrowing other elements of the complaint. The ruling was reported by Outkick, and it comes as Gaines and a coalition of 19 current and former athletes press the NCAA over policies that govern transgender participation in women’s sports.

The lawsuit, filed in March of last year, targets NCAA policies surrounding transgender participation in women’s sports and centers on the 2022 NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships, where Lia Thomas won the national title. Gaines has described the event in interviews as a moment when Thomas used the women’s locker rooms, showers and restrooms during the competition, a claim tied to the host arrangements under an NCAA agreement with Georgia Tech that gave the association operational control of the venue. Gaines and her supporters have argued that such policies undermine fair competition in women’s sports. The case has since drawn attention from conservative media and supporters who view it as a test of Title IX’s application to transgender participation in NCAA events.

The court dismissed Georgia officials as defendants, keeping only the NCAA as a defendant in the case, and also threw out two additional claims. The result means the suit will continue with the Title IX claim at the center and will focus on whether the NCAA receives federal funding, a factor that could influence how the organization is held accountable under federal civil rights law. Gaines’s attorney, Bill Bock of the Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS), praised the decision, saying it allows the important lawsuit to proceed against the NCAA. “We agree with the aspects of Judge Johnson’s order that permit this important lawsuit to proceed against the NCAA,” Bock said. “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, an NCAA spokesperson defended the association’s approach. The NCAA emphasized that college sports remain the premier stage for women’s sports in America, noting ongoing investments in women’s sports and efforts to ensure fair competition in NCAA championships. The spokesperson also tied the policy on transgender participation to broader political and policy debates, saying the NCAA’s approach aligns with the Trump Administration’s executive order banning transgender athletes in sports. The ruling represents a significant procedural milestone in Gaines’s bid to challenge how the NCAA governs transgender participation, with discovery likely to illuminate the precise role of federal funding and oversight in athletics at member schools.

Legal observers note that the case tests how Title IX protections interact with NCAA policy decisions and whether federal funding can be used to compel uniform standards across collegiate athletics. The timeline tracks back to the 2022 championships and the ongoing public dispute over transgender athletes in women’s sports, a debate that has intensified across U.S. politics and sports governance. As the discovery phase begins, the parties will submit further evidence regarding funding links and policy impacts, with potential implications for how similar disputes are handled in the future.