Following President Donald Trump's executive order prohibiting transgender women and girls from competing in female sports, Pennsylvania's governing body for high school sports changed its policies to fall in line with the new directive. But the School District of Philadelphia has indicated it's not following suit.
The city said it will uphold Board Policy 252, which passed in 2016 and permits trans and gender nonconforming students to participate in intramural sports "in a manner consistent with their gender identity" and says their participation in interscholastic competitive sports teams will be "resolved on a case-by-case basis."
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Last week, the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association board voted to remove a policy deferring to school principals to determine an athlete’s "gender" when "questioned or uncertain," the Associated Press reported. It instead approved a new policy, designed to comply with Trump's order, which defers to principals to determine a student’s "sex" when "questioned or uncertain," adding that "schools are required to consult with their school solicitors relative to compliance with the order."
Trump signed the executive order titled "keeping men out of women's sports" on Feb. 5. The Trump administration is asking federal agencies to interpret Title IX – a federal civil rights law barring schools that receive federal funding from practicing sex-based discrimination – in a way that complies with the order. In response to the order, the NCAA revised its transgender policies to only allow athletes assigned female at birth to participate in women's sports.
The order gives the government the ability to remove federal funding from entities that "deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities" by allowing transgender athletes to participate. Out of the Philly school district's $4.6 billion 2025 budget, $33.6 million was federal funding and $148.1 million was federal grant relief. The rest was made up of local and state funding.
Philly's Board Policy 252 also states that students shall have access to the restroom and locker room corresponding to their gender identity. Transgender and gender nonconforming students are also permitted to participate in physical education classes in a manner consistent with their gender identity and have the right to dress in a way consistent with their gender identity or expression.
Schools in the district are told to reduce or eliminate the practice of segregating students by gender where possible, and use gender-neutral language in written communication with students and families. Philly school district students also have a right to keep their transgender identity private at school and to be addressed by the name and pronoun corresponding with their gender identity.
"The School District of Philadelphia strives to ensure safety, equity and justice for all students regardless of gender identity or gender expression so that they can imagine and realize any future they desire," school district spokesperson Christina Clark said in a statement Tuesday night. "The District will continue to align its practices to support its LGBTQ+ students in accordance with Board Policy 252 for transgender and gender non-conforming students."