Frankfort, Ky. – Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman, alongside other attorney generals from various states, is urging the NCAA to restore records, titles, awards, and recognitions that female athletes earned but were denied due to political changes that allowed biological males to compete in women’s sports. This initiative follows a notable event where Riley Gaines, a 12-time NCAA All-American swimmer from the University of Kentucky, ended up in a fifth-place tie with Lia Thomas, the first transgender athlete to clinch an NCAA Division I title.
In a recent statement, Coleman emphasized the critical need to protect women’s sports from what he described as unfair political interference. He made it clear that as a father of two daughters, he is passionate about seeing recognized achievements restored for female athletes who have worked tirelessly for their success. He said, “Kentucky is at the epicenter of college athletics, and we must continue to protect women’s sports from unfair politics that let men invade women’s sports and private spaces.”
The letter from Coleman and his colleagues was directed to the NCAA, calling for the association to pay closer attention to the needs and rights of female athletes. It stated, “The NCAA should take this step for former athletes to preserve the integrity of Title IX and show your support for the women harmed by years of bad policy.” This sentiment was echoed throughout the letter which highlights that women athletes have strived, succeeded, and were cheated out of what they earned.
Attorney General Coleman joined a coalition led by Mississippi, which included attorney generals from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming in this significant appeal.
