Indiana Governor bans trans athletes in women's sports and honors SJSU athletes

Indiana Gov. Mike Brown signed an executive order on Tuesday, banning trans athletes from competing in women's college sports. He was joined by former San Jose State volleyball player Elle Patterson. Elle Patterson claims he lost on a scholarship to trans athletes.

Brown said his orders will ensure fairness in women's sports in a news release.

“Women's sports creates opportunities for young women to win scholarships and hone their leadership skills,” Brown said. “Hoosiers do not want to overwhelmingly destroy those opportunities by allowing biological men to compete in women's sports. Today's executive order confirms that.”

The order requires that state education institutions in Indiana must adhere to the 2020 Title IX rules rather than a reinterpretation of the Biden administration in 2024, which expanded protections based on the self-reported, ever-changing new ideas of “gender identity.”

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“This order ensures that female athletes in university sports are not forced to compete with biological men, maintain the integrity of women's track and field and protect women's opportunities in women-only sports leagues.”

Brown has signed another executive order “refusing extreme gender ideology in favor of the scientific reality of biology” by strengthening the legal definitions of “gender,” “gender,” “female,” “male,” “citizen,” “individual,” and “individual.”

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“Today's executive order will end the confusion over state policies on this issue, so we can focus on my goal of ensuring freedom and opportunity for all Hoosiers,” Brown said after signing the second order.

Brown praised Patterson during his signature. Patterson took part in the lawsuit against SJSU and the Mountain West Conference in November, with 10 other conference players and one former assistant coach handling transgender player Blair Fleming.

Patterson claims that the university has not met previous oral offers of scholarships to her in the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Patterson says he paid full tuition in 2023 after being told he would get a scholarship in 2024. However, while Fleming was on the full scholarship, the program says it didn't work out on the offer either.

“In the end, Patterson told Associate Head Coach Batie-Smoose and Head Coach Todd Kress that they were unable to return to the SJSU team without a scholarship because they were unable to financially pay SJSU's full tuition, rooms and boards in 2024,” the document states.

“Nevertheless, Todd Cress remained in his position that Patterson would not receive a scholarship to play for the SJSU team in 2024 and Fleming would receive a full scholarship to play for the SJSU team.”

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Senator Mike Brown will speak at the Republican Indiana Governor Candidate Forum held in Carmel, Indiana, January 25, 2024. (AP photo/Michael Conroy, File)

Brown expressed his sympathy for Patterson in his speech Tuesday.

“It's just wrong, and leaders need to stand up for young women like Elle,” Brown said. “We need to protect their physical safety and the great opportunities that come with excellence in their exercise.”

The order comes a day after the US Senate failed to pass protections for women and girls in sports law. Despite winning 51 votes from the Republican majority, Democrats filed the bill with 45 votes.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on February 5th to ban trans athletes from competing in women's sports. However, some Democrat-led states have previously refused to follow the order.

Brown joined Idaho Gov. Brad Little, who took steps to prevent it from happening in his state and signed a similar executive order in August.

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