Philadelphia schools signal intent to defy Trump on transgender sports ban

Legions of parents across the country welcomed President Donald Trump's executive order banning transgender athletes from playing in sports competitions designated for females, a move that fulfilled one of his key campaign promises.

However, not every jurisdiction subject to the change appears to be onboard and willing to cooperate, as Breitbart reports, with the Philadelphia School District signaling its intent to disregard a policy adjustment made by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) Board of Directors aiming to bring the state into compliance with Trump's order.

Philadelphia district stands in defiance

The school district's decision comes in the wake of the PIAA's vote revising its prior policy, which formerly stated that “where a student's gender is questioned or uncertain, the decision of the Principal as to the student's gender will be accepted by PIAA.”

Now, the PIAA policy eliminates references to “gender,” replaces them with “sex,” and replaces “principal” with “school.”

The PIAA also issued an accompanying directive stating, “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 lawyers relative to compliance with the Order.”

Despite the PIAA's declared position that the presidential executive order “is binding to all PIAA members schools that accept federal funding,” Philadelphia School District spokesperson indicated Tuesday that its officials will continue to “ensure safety, equity and justice for all students regardless of gender identify or gender expression” of students, seemingly placing hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding at risk.

Furthermore, the representative said, “The district will continue to align its practices to support its LGBTQ++ students in accordance with Board Policy 252 for transgender and gender nonconforming students.”

Trump stands firm on Title IX

The Trump administration's articulation of its stance on keeping biological males out of girls' sports was swift and decisive, emerging soon after the president took office in January.

In a fact sheet summarizing the aforementioned executive order, the White House stated that it serves to uphold “the promise of Title IX and ends the dangerous and unfair participation of men in women's sports.”

According to the summary, the order “requires DOJ to abide by the nationwide vacatur of the previous Administration's illegal Title IX rewrite that would have dissolved single-sex spaces and opportunities, referencing a federal court ruling from January that overturned Biden-era regulations that permitted males to take part in female-designated sports.

The order, according to the White House, “also requires immediate action, including enforcement actions, against schools and athletic associations comprised of schools that deny women single-sex sports and single-sex locker rooms.”

Recent polling from the New York Times/Ipsos revealed that a large majority of Americans – and a significant majority of Democrats – believe that transgender athletes should not be allowed to take part in women's competitions, but even so, decisionmakers such as those in Philadelphia continue to insist that they must be.

“See you in court”

Trump's resolve when it comes to the issue of keeping males out of women's sports was on full display Monday during a heated exchange with Maine Gov. Janet Mills, whom the president singled out for her opposition to his executive order, as the Associated Press reports.

The president asked Mills directly if she planned to comply with the new Title IX rules and suggested that she risked federal funding otherwise, the governor replied, “We'll see you in court,” setting the stage for a battle that Trump clearly welcomes – as do millions of voters who are happy that he is living up to his word on this issue.