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Former college track and field athlete Evelyn Parts filed a lawsuit against Swarthmore College, school officials and the NCAA, alleging the institutions discriminated against her because she is a transgender woman. Following the NCAA's amendments to its policies -- which came after President Donald Trump issued an executive order authorizing federal agencies to penalize schools that allow transgender women to compete in women's sports -- Swarthmore informed Parts earlier this year that she could either participate in men's competition or compete unattached to the school.

The suit claims that Swarthmore and the NCAA violated Parts' Title IX rights, inflicted emotional distress and engaged in a civil conspiracy. The NCAA previously allowed transgender women to compete in women's sports so long as they met sport-specific requirements, but on Feb. 6 it banned them from participation in women's competition.

"We stand by the allegations in the complaint," Parts' attorney, Susan Cirilli, said to ESPN. "The NCAA is a private organization that issued a bigoted policy. Swarthmore chose to follow that policy and disregard federal and state law."

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Swarthmore competes at the NCAA's Division III level. Parts enrolled at the school in 2020 and joined the women's cross country and track teams but did not begin competition until 2023. She transitioned in high school and delayed her college competition amid recovery from gender-affirmation surgery.

Parts competed with Swarthmore in 2023 and 2024 and was named a team captain last fall. When the NCAA adjusted its policies, she elected to participate unattached from Swarthmore rather than to move to men's competition. The lawsuit states that, in turn, she was ineligible to receive coaching or any other financial, medical or travel support from Swarthmore. She competed unattached in two meets this spring and was later reinstated as a member of the Swarthmore women's track and field team. Parts then competed in three meets with the school.