Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares announced that a state investigation found Roanoke College discriminated against and retaliated against female swimmers who objected to competing with a transgender athlete. This announcement was made in a press release.
“The Roanoke women swimmers endured harassment, discrimination, and retaliation,” said Jason Stuart Redding Miyares, Virginia State Executive – Attorney General.
According to Miyares, his Office of Civil Rights determined that Roanoke College violated Title IX and the Virginia Human Rights Act by discriminating against female swimmers who raised concerns about a transgender woman joining their team. The report highlighted that athletes faced retaliation after voicing their objections, underscoring broader national debates over fairness, inclusion, and compliance with federal civil rights law in collegiate athletics, as reported by WSLS.
During the 2023–2024 school year at Virginia Tech, 21 formal Title IX investigations were initiated following complaints ranging from sexual harassment to violence. Many students initially sought supportive measures before filing official cases. The university noted that these reports underscore both the prevalence of misconduct and the reluctance some students feel in pursuing investigations, as detailed in its Title IX Annual Report.
Nationally, enforcement of Title IX has increasingly focused on athletics and transgender participation. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) adopted a policy restricting women’s sports to athletes assigned female at birth after the Senate blocked a bill aimed at barring transgender athletes. The Trump administration also moved to alter Title IX protections, highlighting how federal, legislative, and institutional actions influence access and compliance, as reported by the Washington Post.
Jason Stuart Miyares, born in 1976, is the 48th Attorney General of Virginia and the first Hispanic individual to hold this position. A former prosecutor and Republican legislator from Virginia Beach, he served in the House of Delegates from 2016 to 2022 before winning statewide office in 2021. His career has emphasized public safety, conservative legal advocacy, and civil rights enforcement.
