The recent updates to Pennsylvania’s gender policy on high school sports won’t stop a transgender athlete from racing against girls in the state championships.
An 18-year-old male-born student who identifies as female is scheduled to compete Sunday in the girls’ indoor track-and-field event, despite President Trump’s executive order on single-sex sports and a gender-policy update approved last week by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association.
Ron Lopresti, president of the Pennsylvania Track and Field Coaches Association, which sponsors the championships, said he was told that the PIAA’s policy changes really didn’t change much when it comes to transgender athletes.
“They have not changed their policy,” Lopresti told The Washington Times. “Their policy right now is that until the law changes … a school determines what athletes can compete on what teams. And since we follow PIAA rules, that’s where we stand.”
The PIAA Board of Directors drew national headlines for voting Feb. 19 to update its gender policy, but the changes largely amounted to replacing “gender” with “sex,” and placing the “school” in charge of determining the student’s sex, rather than the “principal.”
“Where a student’s sex is questioned or uncertain, the decision of the school as to the student’s sex will be accepted by PIAA,” said the revised policy in the board minutes. “In accordance with the Presidential Executive Order 14201 entitled ‘Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports’, dated February 5, 2025, schools are required to consult with their school solicitors relative to compliance with the Order.”
The reference to Trump’s executive order prompted reports that Pennsylvania had banned transgender athletes, but Lopresti said he reached out to Mark Byers, PIAA chief operating officer.
Byers “emailed right back to me that there is no change in policy, despite what you’re seeing headlines in the news media,” Lopresti said. “The headlines don’t tell the correct story.”
The PIAA responded by saying that Lopresti and Byers have not spoken since the Feb. 19 meeting. The association released a statement Feb. 6 saying it was aware of Trump’s executive order and that it was “assessing and tracking the law as it evolves.”
The association also emphasized that the PTFCA championships are not organized or administered by the PIAA, and that “Mr. Lopresti does not have a position on speaking on behalf of the PIAA office.”
“PIAA is following the Executive Order and requiring member schools to consult with their school solicitor, relative to compliance with the Executive Order, to ensure that each school is aware of the legal ramifications of the federal order and its impact on their school,” said the PIAA in a Thursday statement. “The member school is responsible for certifying the eligibility of their student-athlete.”
The upshot is that Luce Allen, a male-born senior at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School, remains eligible to run in the girls’ 200-meter dash at the PTFCA Indoor State Championship to be held Sunday at Penn State University.
The athlete has competed in girls’ indoor and outdoor track for two years.
“The principal of the school is the head PIAA official for every PIAA school,” Lopresti said. “In the case of Plymouth Whitemarsh, it went right to the superintendent and their solicitor. The superintendent made the comment that they have not changed their policy concerning this particular athlete.”
🚨 Male athlete Sean “Luce” Allen has taken a spot in the GIRLS 200m at Pennsylvania’s high school state championships, denying a female athlete the chance to compete at the state meet this coming Sunday.
— ICONS (@icons_women) February 26, 2025
His 25.43 time is nearly 3 seconds slower than the last boys’ qualifier. pic.twitter.com/qwLccGG3AE
The hubbub surrounding the Pennsylvania policy comes with state sports authorities and school districts responding to the White House by revising their rules to comply with the executive order — or declaring their refusal to comply.
The School District of Philadelphia announced earlier this week that it would make no changes to its position allowing students to compete based on gender identity.
“The School District of Philadelphia strives to ensure safety, equity and justice for all students regardless of gender identity or gender expression so that they can imagine and realize any future they desire,” the system’s statement said. “The District will continue to align its practices to support its LGBTQ+ students in accordance with Board Policy 252 for transgender and gender non-conforming students.”
State athletic associations in New Hampshire and Wisconsin have agreed to bar biological males from girls’ high school sports, while those in California, Maine and Minnesota have refused to do so.
In Pennsylvania, 10 female Republican state senators introduced earlier this month the Save Women’s Sports Act, which would bar biological males from female scholastic sports.
The bill is likely to pass the Republican-controlled Senate but could falter in the House, where Democrats hold a one-seat majority. Gov. Josh Shapiro is also a Democrat.
“The PIAA has said they will follow the law. If — and this is a big if — if the Pennsylvania Assembly would pass a law barring transgender athletes, the PIAA will follow it, and of course, so will the PTFCA,” Lopresti said. “But I don’t see that happening between now and Sunday.”
This story has been updated to reflect the PIAA’s comments.
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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