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Abigail Spanberger’s Virginia gubernatorial campaign came under fire this week from women’s sports rights activists. A swimmer who is suing a university in her state over an incident involving a trans swimmer has intervened.
During the first debate against Republican candidate Winsome Earle-Sears, Spanbeger was asked if he would rescind current Gov. Glen Younkin’s executive order to keep biological males out of women’s sports.
Spanberger’s response went viral.
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“My answer is that in each local community the decisions should be made between parents and educators, and the teachers of each community. They should not be dictated by politicians,” Spanberger said. “I am a mother of three daughters in Virginia public schools and nothing is more important to me than their safety and experience in schools,” Spanberger added in response to questions about her stance on transgender issues.
Former Roanoke women’s swimming captain Lily Mullens, who led an athlete revolt against the program in 2023 that culminated in a press conference and a lawsuit, told Pak Gazette Digital her reaction to Spanberger’s response.
“Cowardice and refusal to give a clear yes or no to maintaining Governor Youngkin’s policy of protecting Virginia girls destroys all confidence in Spanberger’s judgment and integrity. I firmly believe that if you cannot denounce such outward disregard for the rights of girls living in the great Commonwealth of Virginia, then you are not worthy of holding any office, much less that of governor,” Mullens said.
“For someone who will represent all of Virginia’s voters, she should be able to clearly answer questions rather than pander to radical gender ideology, especially when asked about an issue where an overwhelming majority is in favor of keeping men out of women’s spaces.”
Mullens continued to express her support for Winsome-Sears, who strongly supports the mandate to keep trans athletes out of women’s sports.
THE FORMER UPENN SWIMMER REFLECTS ON BEING TEAMMATES WITH LIA THOMAS
“Winsome Sears, a true leader, has made her position clear as someone who is committed to protecting women and girls with the same thing that Spanberger and her party lack: common sense. I can attest, as I know what it’s like to feel like your rights as a woman are completely ignored by those in power.”
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares launched an investigation into Roanoke’s handling in 2023 of the situation involving Mullens, her teammate and the trans athlete. It concluded that the university denied the swimmers housing, benefits and privileges based on sex, caused them emotional, physical and dignitary harm, and violated the Virginia Human Rights Act (VHRA).
“I know what it’s like to feel like your rights as a woman are completely overlooked by those in power. My teammates and I asked for our story to be the last, but unfortunately, due to the lack of leadership from those pushing this anti-woman agenda, we have had to watch more girls suffer,” Mullens continued. “Virginia needs people like Lt. Governor Sears and Attorney General Miyares now more than ever. That debate made that fact quite evident.”
Miyares’ report also suggested that swimmers who were discriminated against are eligible to claim financial damages because the school’s policy violated the VHRA, according to state code.
Documents obtained by Pak Gazette Digital indicated that six female swimmers on the Roanoke College team applied for the school’s May travel courses three days before a press conference was to take place in which some expressed displeasure at having a transgender swimmer on their team.
“Two weeks after the press conference, Roanoke professors in charge of travel conditions to Japan and Greece rejected the swimmers’ requests,” Miyares’ findings said.
The documents noted that the VHRA prohibited “unlawful discrimination and retaliation by educational institutions on the basis of sex” and that “no educational institution may ‘refuse, withhold, or deny’ any accommodation, advantage, or privilege on the basis of sex.” Any implementation of a discriminatory policy would be considered discrimination under the law.
Roanoke College issued a statement saying it “categorically denies the baseless allegation that its administrators, faculty, staff, coaches or administration violated the human rights of any student or retaliated against them in any way.”
The school said it adopted a policy that was “stricter than the NCAA’s position, which made the student ineligible to compete.”
Lily Mullens, former Roanoke women’s swimmer (Courtesy of ICONS)
“As the report states: As a matter of fact, the Bureau does not find sufficient evidence that the women were denied the opportunity to compete in this case or that the College itself subjected the women to a hostile environment based on sex.” “The report alleges that our faculty retaliated against members of the women’s swim team by denying their applications for May semester courses,” the school said. “That allegation is patently false; our faculty acted in good faith and followed our normal process regarding the selection of students for May semester courses.”
Elsewhere in Virginia, issues surrounding transgender bathrooms and sports loom large. In August, the Department of Education determined that five Northern Virginia school districts were in violation of Title IX for failing to roll back policies allowing transgender students.
Last month, a federal judge dismissed lawsuits brought by two of the districts, seeking to challenge the Trump administration’s conclusion that it places restrictions on the districts’ federal funding unless they make a change.
Meanwhile, a case The case involving two Virginia boys who were suspended and held accountable by their school for sexual harassment after being caught on camera complaining to each other about a transgender classmate wearing their locker room is also currently playing out in federal court.
