Concerned Women for America (CWA) has filed a Title IX complaint against RIT, the Rochester Institute of Technology, for allowing a trans athlete named Sadie Schreiner to compete on the women’s track and field team. CWA claims that RIT roasts on the women’s team, lists a male who fully identifies as trans, and continues to follow the NCAA’s Transgender Participation Policy, which doesn’t align with federal legal standards under Title IX.
CWA CEO and President Penny Nance stated: "RIT is violating Title IX anti-discrimination rules for male and female teams by rostering a trans-identifying male on its women’s track team. RIT makes the excuse it is following the NCAA’s Transgender Participation Policy, but that policy is not federal law and doesn’t comply with Title IX. The NCAA does not have the authority to re-define the meaning of sex under federal law for participation on male and female teams," Nance said. "Though RIT publicly claims it is following NCAA policy, its duty under the law is to follow Title IX. Educational institutions cannot hide behind the NCAA for its willful violations of women’s civil rights."
RIT’s Dallas Briles emphasized that the program is complying with the NCAA’s most recent policy during the 2025 update, which does not fully protect women’s sports for women only as required under Title IX. "Neither the NCAA’s previous policy nor its revised policy announced on February 6, 2025, fully protects women’s sports for women only as required under Title IX regulations," the spokesperson noted. "RIT has not confirmed whether Sadie has been removed from the roster or no longer practices with the team."
Schreiner, who has multiple school records in women’s track, including women’s indoor and outdoor 200-, 300-, and 400-meter dash events, stopped competing in the 2024 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championship. She also competed in the Liberty League Championship and took top spots in multiple events.
RIT, in January 2023, previously rejected Sadie’s request for full athletic scholarships, leading her to Google search the dorm zone. She later modified her profile to address symmetry concerns. According to healthDay, she is still active on the team, appearing in a U.S. Open N Finished 100 Race, leading her to victory in the 100m race despite facing harsh competition. Her social media presence expresses frustration over state laws blocking her participation and previous coach’s inability to recruit her despite NCAA notifications.
The NCAA’s policy, though referencing captain’s性别, applies to creations for men and women in women’s athletic and athletic competition. Sadie is not considered a race despite the gender-neutral aspect of the team’s name, and the school denied investigating her as a symmetry breach at the time. However, this improbable scenario has drawn mixed reactions: some suggest it is illegal, while others view it as a result of strategic generosity in returning Schreiner to compete despite her trans gender.
