Trump Restores Common Sense, Fairness to Women’s Sports—But There’s More to Do

President Donald Trump recently issued an executive order called “Keeping Men out of Women’s Sports.” Among other things, it stops the federal government from subsidizing institutions that allow athletes born male to compete against females.

It’s a popular cause. Author J.K. Rowling approvingly posted an iconic image of Trump at his desk proudly holding up the executive order while surrounded by happy young girls, which has gone viral and received nearly 40 million views.

A January New York Times/Ipsos poll found that 79% of Americans favor keeping people born male out of women’s sports. And the NCAA quickly got on board, issuing a statement from its president that “President Trump’s order provides a clear, national standard” that it will follow.

Although the tide might seem to be turning in favor of common sense, there are still people wrongly facing cancellation just for voicing their support for biological reality.

Like our client, Coach John Parks.

In his storied track-and-field coaching career, he coached nine Olympic and World Championship medalists and 16 NFL football players. He has coached at least one participant in the U.S. Olympic Track and Field trials for each meet since 1988.

And until this past May, Parks was the head track and field coach at Lake Oswego High School in Oregon. As the state track and field championship approached in 2024, he became concerned about girls unfairly being made to compete against male athletes. So, he wrote an email—from his private account, not his school account—to the Oregon School Activities Association. His email offered a suggestion: Consider creating an “open” division for “transgender” track athletes and using an “evidence-based” approach for eligibility for boys and girls teams.

Parks emphasized that he was generally supportive of transgender athletes while also being protective of his natural-born female track athletes who are disadvantaged when competing against transgender male runners who identify as female.

Like those smiling girls in the photograph with Trump a few days ago, the female athletes on the track team supported Parks for taking a stand.

But school district officials were not smiling: In direct retaliation for sending his email, the school district fired him from his coaching and teaching positions.

That was illegal. And that is why my colleagues and I at the Liberty Justice Center filed a First Amendment lawsuit on Parks’ behalf. The U.S. Supreme Court has made clear since its 1968 decision in Pickering v. Board of Education that a public employee like Parks does not forfeit his First Amendment right to free speech as a private citizen on a matter of public concern—even if local government officials like public school administrators disapprove of that speech.

Parks was a visionary several months ago when he suggested an open division for transgender athletes to compete in instead of competing against girls. Now, the president of the United States and the NCAA have embraced his view on keeping women’s-only sports divisions free from athletes who were born male.

We are proud to stand beside Coach Parks and fight for his constitutional rights as we continue the legal battle to restore his reputation and position. As the president’s order recognized, it is important that women’s sports be fair and safe—by keeping men out of them. But it is even more important that people have the freedom to say so.  

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