In a decisive courtroom development, Judge Les Hatch of Texas’ 237th District Court has ruled against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s request for a temporary injunction demanding the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to pursue genetic testing on female athletes. This judicial decision allows the NCAA to maintain its current policies, which are set to evolve by February 2025. According to these policies, athletes assigned male at birth are generally excluded from competing in women’s teams.
The lawsuit, initially filed in December 2024 in Lubbock County’s 237th Judicial District, challenges the transparency of the NCAA’s policies on transgender participation in women’s sports. Paxton had argued that the implementation of genetic screening, including testing for the SRY gene, was necessary to avoid misleading Texas consumers by ensuring compliance with Texas legislation and existing federal directives, specifically an executive order from President Donald Trump.
The NCAA opposed the injunction request, citing privacy concerns over collecting genetic material from numerous female athletes, a practice not mandated elsewhere. While representatives from the NCAA’s legal defense, such as Haynes Boone’s Victor Vital, opted not to comment, the Texas Attorney General’s office has yet to issue a statement.
Further details and implications of the case are available at Texas Lawyer.