Virginia swimmer criticizes Spanberger’s policy for transgender athletes

Abigail Spanberger’s campaign for governor of Virginia came under fire from women’s sports rights activists this week. A Women’s swimming who is suing a college in her state over an incident involving a transgender swimmer.

During the first debate against Republican candidate Winsome Earl Sears, Spanbigger was asked If you rescind current Governor Glenn Youngkin’s executive order keeping biological males out of girls’ sports.

Spanberger’s answer has gone viral.

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“My answer is that in each community decisions should be made between parents and teachers and teachers in each community. They should not be dictated by politicians,” Spanberger said. “I am a mother of three daughters in public schools in Virginia, and nothing is more important to me than their safety and their experience in schools,” Spanberger added in response to questions about her position on transgender issues.

Lily Mullins, the former Roanoke women’s swimming captain who led a sports revolt against the program in 2023 that culminated in a press conference and a lawsuit, told Fox News Digital her reaction to Spanberger’s answer.

“Cowardice and refusal to give a clear yes or no on maintaining Governor Youngkin’s policy to protect Virginia girls destroys all confidence in Spanberger’s judgment and integrity,” Mullins said. “I firmly believe that if you are unable to condemn this outward disregard for the rights of girls living in the great Commonwealth of Virginia, then you do not deserve to hold any office, let alone the office of governor.”

“For someone who represents all Virginia voters, she should be able to clearly answer questions rather than pander to extreme gender ideology, especially when asked about an issue that the overwhelming majority favors keeping men out of the women’s sphere.”

Mullins continued to voice his support for Winsome-Sears, who strongly supports the mandate to keep transgender athletes out of girls’ sports.

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“Winsom Sears, a true leader, has made her position clearly as committed to protecting women and girls with the same thing that Spanberger and her party lack: common sense. I can attest, because I know what it feels like to have your rights as a woman completely ignored by those in power.”

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares has launched an investigation into Roanoke’s 2023 handling of the situation involving Mullins, her teammate and the trans athlete. It concluded that the college denied female swimmers accommodations, benefits and privileges based on sex, caused emotional, physical and dignity-related harm to the women and violated the Virginia Human Rights Act (VHRA).

“I know how it feels like your rights as a woman have been completely overlooked by those in power,” Mullins continued. “My colleagues and I have called for our story to be the last, but unfortunately, due to a lack of leadership from those pushing this misogynistic agenda, we have had to watch more girls suffer.” “Virginia needs people like Lt. Sears and A.G. Miyares now more than ever. This debate made that fact abundantly clear.”

The Miyares report also noted that female swimmers who were discriminated against were entitled to seek financial damages because the school policy violated the VHRA, according to state law.

Documents obtained by Fox News Digital said six female swimmers on the Roanoke College team applied for May travel courses run by the school three days before a news conference in which some expressed dismay at having a transgender swimmer on their team.

“Two weeks after the press conference, Roanoke professors responsible for travel conditions to Japan and Greece rejected the swimmers’ requests,” Miyares’ findings said.

The documents noted that the VHRA prohibits “unlawful discrimination and retaliation by educational institutions on the basis of sex” and that “no educational institution may ‘deny, withhold, or deny’ any accommodations, benefits, or privileges on the basis of sex.” Any implementation of a discriminatory policy is considered discrimination under the law.

Roanoke College issued a statement saying it “categorically denies the baseless allegations that its trustees, faculty, staff, coaches or administration violated the human rights of any students or retaliated against them in any way.”

The school said it had adopted a policy “more stringent than the NCAA’s position, making the student ineligible to compete.”

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“As a matter of fact, the office did not find sufficient evidence that women were denied the opportunity to compete in this case or that the college itself subjected women to a hostile environment on the basis of gender,” the report says. The report alleges that our faculty retaliated against members of the women’s swim team by denying their requests to attend May sessions, the school said. “This accusation is patently false; our faculty acted in good faith and followed the usual process regarding selecting students for May semester courses.”

Elsewhere in Virginia, issues surrounding transgender bathrooms and sports loom large. In August, the Department of Education found five school districts in Northern Virginia in violation of Title IX for failing to roll back policies allowing transgender students.

Last month, a federal judge dismissed lawsuits brought by two of the counties, seeking to challenge the Trump administration’s finding that limits federal funding to counties unless they make a change.

Meanwhile, condition The film, about two Virginia boys who were suspended and found responsible for sexual harassment by their school, after they were caught on camera complaining to each other about their transgender classmate’s use of their locker room, is also currently playing out in federal court at the moment.

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