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EXCLUSIVE: After 130 congressional Democrats affirmed their support for the inclusion of biological male trans athletes in women's sports, the legal team helping to protect women's sports in an upcoming Supreme Court case responded. 

A coalition that includes nine Democrat senators and 121 Democrat House members signed an amicus brief this week, backing trans athletes Lindsay Hecox and Becky Pepper-Jackson in two court cases that could impact the future of women's sports next year. 

The legal firm taking up the defense of women's sports in those cases, Alliance Defending Freedom, provided an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital by attorney Jonathan Scruggs in response to the Democrats' amicus brief.

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"Our laws should recognize biological reality, not deny it. Too many female athletes across the country have already lost out on hard-earned opportunities, suffered injuries, and given up their privacy to pretend this isn’t happening.  The growing consensus around this issue shows that Americans don't want males competing against women in their own sports. Biology in sports matters and impacts the playing field as well as privacy," Scruggs said. 

Scruggs also pointed to multiple amicus briefs that have gone in support of their cause. 

"That is why many female athletes filed amicus briefs detailing how males are taking women’s opportunities. One brief explained how the plaintiff in the West Virginia case beat 423 different girls 1100 times, taking 57 medals that rightly belonged to women," the lawyer added. 

"Injustice like this should stop. We are looking forward to helping West Virginia and Idaho defend their crucial laws at the US Supreme Court to ensure that female athletes in those states and across the country are not sidelined."

One such amicus brief that has been filed in support of the defense of women's sports for the upcoming Supreme Court cases was filed by the Independent Council on Women's Sports (ICONS), an advocacy and outreach group that has raised money for multiple lawsuits addressing the issue, including Riley Gaines' lawsuit against the NCAA. 

"Sex-separated sport is necessary for girls to develop a healthy view of their own bodies. For many girls, lessons learned in sport are vital to overcoming obstacles and succeeding in life. Yet, due to male biological advantages, failing to protect the girls’ category will cause girls to leave sport. Therefore, protecting sex separation in girls’ sports is foundational to the health, happiness, and success of future generations of women," the ICONS brief reads. 

Back in September, attorneys general from 27 states and the U.S. Territory of Guam signed onto amicus briefs to support the legal defense to "Save Women's Sports" in the upcoming cases.

LEGAL DEFENSE TO 'SAVE WOMEN'S SPORTS' GRANTED RIGHT TO MAKE ARGUMENT TO SCOTUS AMID TRANS ATHLETE DISPUTE

Meanwhile, the 130 congressional Democrats threw their support behind trans athletes despite data showing most Democrat voters opposing the inclusion of males in women's and girls' sports. 

The Democrat list of signees features prominent figures on the party's left wing, including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Ilhan Omar, D-Minn. The list also includes House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Rep. Nancy Pelosi. The list does not include noted moderate Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., or Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

The coalition is led by Congressional Equality Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Becca Balint, D-V.t., Democratic Women’s Caucus Chair Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, D-N.M., and Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii. 

That brief urged the Supreme Court to side with Pepper-Jackson, a trans teen from West Virginia who successfully challenged the state's law that prohibits biological males from competing in girls' sports, and Hecox, who successfully challenged a similar law in Idaho to compete on Boise State's women's cross-country team.

"Categorical bans—such as the bans in West Virginia and Idaho—undermine those protections and the ability of transgender students to be part of their school community," the brief writes. 

The trans athletes were the plaintiffs in both cases, and now their successful verdicts will be reviewed by the Supreme Court, which could cast a sweeping ruling that sets a new precedent for who is allowed to compete in women's sports nationwide. 

In January, a New York Times/Ipsos survey found the vast majority of Americans, including a majority of Democrats, don't think transgender athletes should be permitted to compete in women's sports. 

Of the 2,128 people who participated, 79% said biological males who identify as women should not be allowed to participate in women's sports. Of the 1,025 people who identified as Democrats or leaning Democrat, 67% said transgender athletes should not be allowed to compete with women. 

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A coalition of 130 congressional Democrats filed an amicus brief to the Supreme Court urging it to rule in favor of two trans athletes in forthcoming cases over the protection of women's sports and national enforcement of Title IX. 

The coalition, which includes nine senators and 121 House members, is led by Congressional Equality Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Becca Balint, D-V.t., Democratic Women’s Caucus Chair Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, D-N.M., and Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii. 

The list of signees features prominent figures on the party's left wing, including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Ilhan Omar, D-Minn. The list also includes House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Rep. Nancy Pelosi. The list does not include noted moderate Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., or Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

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The 130 Democrats on the list urged the court to side with Becky Pepper-Jackson, a trans teen from West Virginia who successfully challenged the state's law that prohibits biological males from competing in girls' sports, and Lindsay Hecox, who successfully challenged a similar law in Idaho to compete on Boise State's women's cross-country team.

"Categorical bans—such as the bans in West Virginia and Idaho—undermine those protections and the ability of transgender students to be part of their school community," the brief writes. 

Hirono wrote in an announcement of the brief, "All students deserve equal access to opportunity in schools—whether in the classroom, on the playing field, or in other settings. No student should be discriminated against based on who they are. 

"A categorical ban on transgender students participating in sports not only harms these students, but also subjects women and girls to harassment and discrimination, and leads to the policing of children’s bodies. This contradicts the very purpose of Title IX: ending discrimination in federally-funded education programs. These bans are blatant discrimination, and the Court should say so."

The congressional Democrats are taking this position even as support for trans athletes in women's and girls' sports emerged as a weakness for voters and point of contention within the party over the last year. 

LEGAL DEFENSE TO 'SAVE WOMEN'S SPORTS' GRANTED RIGHT TO MAKE ARGUMENT TO SCOTUS AMID TRANS ATHLETE DISPUTE

In January, a New York Times/Ipsos survey found the vast majority of Americans, including a majority of Democrats, don't think transgender athletes should be permitted to compete in women's sports. 

Of the 2,128 people who participated, 79% said biological males who identify as women should not be allowed to participate in women's sports. Of the 1,025 people who identified as Democrats or leaning Democrat, 67% said transgender athletes should not be allowed to compete with women. 

The Little vs Hecox and West Virginia vs BPJ cases were each initially legal wins that enabled biological males to bypass their state's laws to compete against females. But now that the cases will be heard by the Supreme Court, a decision could have a wide-ranging impact on the legality of trans athletes in women's sports going forward. 

The cases are set for oral arguments on Jan. 13 in Washington, D.C. 

The Little v. Hecox lawsuit was initially filed by trans athlete Lindsay Hecox in 2020, when the athlete wanted to join the women's cross-country team at Boise State and had the state's law to prevent trans athletes from competing in women's sports blocked.

Hecox was joined by an anonymous biological female student, Jane Doe, who was concerned about the potential of being subjected to the sex dispute verification process. The challenge was successful when a federal judge blocked Idaho's state law. 

A 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel upheld an injunction blocking the state law in 2023, before the Supreme Court agreed in July to hear the case. Hecox then asked the court last month to drop the challenge, claiming the athlete "has therefore decided to permanently withdraw and refrain from playing any women’s sports at BSU or in Idaho."

Hecox tried to have the case dismissed in September after the Supreme Court agreed in July to hear the case, but U.S. District Judge David Nye, appointed by President Donald Trump in 2017, rejected Hecox's motion to dismiss the case. 

The West Virginia v. B.P.J. lawsuit was brought against the state of West Virginia by trans athlete Becky Pepper-Jackson, who was initially granted a preliminary injunction allowing the athlete to participate on the school's sports teams. The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the law violated Title IX and the equal protection clause. Now the Supreme Court has agreed to hear the state's appeal.

In a response brief, the athlete's mother, Heather Jackson, argued West Virginia's law that prohibits transgender athletes from competing in women's sports violates Title IX.

However, Title IX does not explicitly protect the right of biologically male transgender people to identify as women. The Trump administration and West Virginia state government do not interpret Title IX as protective of that right.

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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., was criticized on social media for a post celebrating "Transgender Awareness Week." 

Many of the criticisms were leveled by activists fighting for the protection of women's sports from biological male transgender athletes. 

Figures to speak out are former U.S. gymnast and XX-XY Athletics co-founder Jennifer Sey, and former UPenn women's swimmer and conservative influencer Paula Scanlan. 

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Ocasio-Cortez was the subject of immense criticism for advocating in favor of trans athletes in women's and girls' sports in 2024 and early 2025. The congresswoman then sparked a viral feud with conservative activist Riley Gaines at the end of October. 

In a series of X posts, Ocasio-Cortez mocked Gaines, who had just given birth to her first child, with comments including, "I would like to challenge this person to get a real job," and "Maybe if you channeled all this anger into swimming faster you wouldn’t have come in fifth."

In January, Ocasio-Cortez was mocked for a hysterical rant on the floor of the House of Representatives over the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act. In a viral two-minute tirade, she included both false and unsubstantiated claims. Her speech ended with an unexplained claim that "CEOs love this bill" as it related to the California Wildfires. 

Ocasio-Cortez opened her argument by referencing Republicans' history in voting against the "Violence Against Women Act" and an apparent false claim in reference to their stance on abortion rights. 

HOW TRANSGENDERISM IN SPORTS SHIFTED THE 2024 ELECTION AND IGNITED A NATIONAL COUNTERCULTURE

Ocasio-Cortez was also one of many Democrats to push unsubstantiated claims that the bill would subject young girls to sexual predators.

"And why? To open up gender, and yes, genital examinations into little girls of this country, in the so-called name of attacking trans girls!" Ocasio-Cortez continued.

Nowhere in the bill did it state that girls or women would be subject to genital examination in order to participate in sports. However, Ocasio-Cortez, along with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other Democrats opposing it, have cited that possibility as their top argument in opposing the act. 

The argument resulted in backlash by voters in both parties, including prominent Rutgers law professor Gary Francione who has been a lifelong Democrat dating back to the 1970s. Francione previously told Fox News Digital that he unregistered from the party in response to Ocasio-Cortez, and suggested other Democrats would follow.

"I can say confidently of the people I know who are Democrats who I've spoken to, the vast majority of them are very unhappy about all of this stuff and feel that the party has lost its way," Francione said. "I know a couple who said they are going to [unregister]." 

Earlier in January, a New York Times/Ipsos survey found the vast majority of Americans, including a majority of Democrats, don't think transgender athletes should be permitted to compete in women's sports. 

Of the 2,128 people who participated, 79% said biological males who identify as women should not be allowed to participate in women's sports. Of the 1,025 people who identified as Democrats or leaning Democrat, 67% said transgender athletes should not be allowed to compete with women. 

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Two hundred twenty-eight days after the start of the MLB season, it will all come down to one final game.

The Los Angeles Dodgers staved off elimination in miraculous fashion Friday night with an unorthodox double play on a fly ball to left, forcing a Game 7 against the Toronto Blue Jays in Canada Saturday night, live only on FOX.

For the Blue Jays, their decision on a Game 7 starter is a no-brainer since Max Scherzer is on regular rest and has been pitching much better lately.

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The Dodgers have a peculiar situation on their hands. Saturday would have been normal rest for Tyler Glasnow, but he was summoned to get the final three outs Friday. It only took three pitches, so perhaps he’s good to go. However, there is a catch with Shohei Ohtani.

After Game 6, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said everyone but Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who tossed six innings Friday, was available. Obviously, that includes Ohtani, whose 10-strikeout performance — while hitting three home runs — sent the Dodgers to the Fall Classic.

"Everyone" also includes Glasnow, who was hardly worked to preserve the save. But due to a quirk in MLB rule, 5.11(b), that essentially was made specifically for Ohtani, he may have no choice but to start.

MLB instituted a rule that if a starting pitcher was in the batting lineup, he could continue hitting despite being taken off the mound. However, that is not the case for relievers. So if Ohtani were to only DH on Saturday, then pitch in relief, they would risk losing Ohtani for the remainder of the game upon his being taken off the mound. 

To keep his bat, he would have to play the field, which he has not done since 2021. He has just 8⅓ innings on the field in his career, all in that season. In turn, a fielder already in the lineup would then be taken out of the game.

DODGERS STAVE OFF ELIMINATION TO SET UP WINNER-TAKE-ALL WORLD SERIES GAME 7

Numerous reports have circulated that the Dodgers plan to start Ohtani, and given the niche rule, it seems like the obvious choice. If Ohtani doesn’t have it early, Roberts would have no issue going with Glasnow for length.

As for Toronto, its bullpen appears to be locked and loaded. Kevin Gausman gave the team six innings in a tough-luck loss, and Louis Varland, Mason Fluharty and Seranthony Domínguez combined for just two innings before Chris Bassitt came in for the ninth.

George Springer figures to be back in the lineup after driving in the Jays' lone run Friday, albeit clearly uncomfortable from the injury he sustained in the 18-inning marathon of Game 3.

But Vladimir Guerrero Jr. continued a postseason performance that will be one for the record books, win or loss. He is one hit away from tying Randy Arozarena's record from 2020 for the most hits in a single postseason (his teammate, Ernie Clement, is third).

With a win, the Dodgers would be the first team to win back-to-back titles since the New York Yankees won three straight from 1998 to 2000. It would be the first time in almost 50 years a team won two straight World Series titles on the road, with the last instance being the Cincinnati Reds in Boston and New York in 1975 and 1976.

As for Toronto, a win would mark its first title since 1993, when Joe Carter hit a walk-off home run. It also would be just the second time since 2014 that the Fall Classic was won by the home team.

Fans felt déjà vu incoming in the bottom of the ninth Friday night, but they have to wait at least one more day.

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U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) leadership addressed the topic of mandatory sex testing to protect women's sports from biological male trans athletes during a press conference at its media summit on Tuesday. 

USOPC President Sarah Hirshland declined to answer whether she personally would support mandatory genetic testing to protect the women's categories when asked by Fox News Digital, after President Donald Trump suggested at an August press conference there would be a "very strong form" of sex testing to keep biological males out of women's competitions at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. 

Hirshland said she would support whatever decisions world governing bodies and individual U.S. governing bodies make for their respective sports. 

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"We're here to be supportive and helpful," Hirshland said. "But at the end of the day, defining eligibility for competitions has to happen at the individual sport level, whether that's globally or nationally." 

However, in July, the USOPC updated its athlete safety policy to indicate compliance with Trump's "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" executive order, and U.S. governing bodies in turn changed their trans athlete participation policy to comply with the USOPC's new guidance. 

No single U.S. governing body currently uses sex testing to protect the women's category. World Athletics and World Boxing are the two biggest world governing bodies to use sex testing. 

USOPC Board Chair Gene Sykes said, with regard to protecting women's sports, "The expectation is that this is, this is where world sport, international sport, will go."

Sykes added, "And fortunately, the executive order that is designed to protect women's sports in the United States is very consistent with the trend internationally."

USOPC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jonathan Finnoff said that the SRY gene tests being used by World Athletics and World Boxing are "not common" in the U.S., but suggested the USOPC is currently exploring options to employ sex testing options for its own teams and that he expects other world governing bodies to "follow suit." 

"It's not necessarily very common to get this specific test in the United States and so we our goal in that was helping to identify labs and options for the athletes to be able to get that testing, and based on that experience, iand knowing that some other international federations likely will be following suit," Finnoff said. 

HOW TRANSGENDERISM IN SPORTS SHIFTED THE 2024 ELECTION AND IGNITED A NATIONAL COUNTERCULTURE

A presentation at a World Athletics panel in Tokyo in September revealed that 50 to 60 athletes with male biological advantages have been finalists in the female category at global and continental championships since 2000.

The panel was led by the head of the World Athletics Health and Science Department, Dr. Stéphane Bermon, who said sex tests were necessary because of an "over-representation" of DSD (differences of sex development) athletes among finalists, per multiple reports.

Last October, the United Nations said nearly 900 biological females have fallen short of the podium because they were beaten by trans athletes.

The findings were compiled by Reem Alsalem, the U.N.'s rapporteur on violence against women and titled "Violence against women and girls in sports." 

The report said that more than 600 athletes did not medal in more than 400 competitions in 29 sports, totaling over 890 medals, according to information obtained as of March 30.

"The replacement of the female sports category with a mixed-sex category has resulted in an increasing number of female athletes losing opportunities, including medals, when competing against males," the report said.

The new president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Kirsty Coventry, addressed the topic of transgender athletes competing in women's sports at her first news conference since taking over in June and said that there is "overwhelming support" by IOC members to protect the female category. 

"We understand that there'll be differences depending on the sport … but it was very clear from the members that we have to protect the female category, first and foremost to ensure fairness," Coventry said. "But we need to do that with a scientific approach and the inclusion of the international federations who have already done a lot of work in this area."

The new president added that there is "unanimous" support for coming to an agreement about how to amend the policy and suggested the IOC may take inspiration from the World Athletics policy, which restricts biological males from competing in women's sports if those males have gone through male puberty. 

"It was very clear from the membership the discussion around this has to be done with medical and scientific research at the core, so we are looking at the facts and the nuances and the inclusion of the international federations that have done so much of this work … having a seat at table and sharing with us because every sport is different," she said.

A January New York Times/Ipsos survey found the vast majority of Americans, including a majority of Democrats, don't think transgender athletes should be permitted to compete in women's sports. 

"Thinking about transgender female athletes — meaning athletes who were male at birth but who currently identify as female — do you think they should or should not be allowed to compete in women’s sports?" the survey asked. 

Of the 2,128 people who participated, 79% said biological males who identify as women should not be allowed to participate in women's sports. 

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Details have emerged about the technology used to rig poker games in the illegal gambling scheme that allegedly included NBA Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and retired NBA player Damon Jones. 

Documents released by the FBI allege the conspirators used a card-shuffling machine that used concealed technology to read the cards in the deck and predict which player at the table had the best hand, and relayed that information via interstate wires to an off-site operator. 

According to the documents, that operator allegedly communicated that information back to a lead conspirator at the poker table, who used signals to relay the information with other conspirators at the table. 

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The FBI documents also allege that the cheating players used other technology, including electronic chip trays that could secretly read cards placed on the table, card analyzers that could also detect which cards were on the table, and invisible markings placed on the cards that could only be seen with the help of specially-designed contact lenses or glasses. 

U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Joseph Nocella Jr. called it "one of the most brazen sports corruption schemes since online sports betting became widely legalized in the United States," and detailed the type of technology that was used at a press conference on Thursday. 

"They used off-the-shelf shuffling machines that had been secretly altered in order to read the cards in the deck, predict which player at the table had the best poker hand, and relay that information to an off-site operator," Nocella said.  

NBA LEGEND CHAUNCEY BILLUPS, HEAT'S TERRY ROZIER ARRESTED AS PART OF FBI GAMBLING PROBE

"Defendants used other cheating technologies such as poker chip tray analyzers—which is a poker chip tray that secretly read cards using a hidden camera—special contact lenses or eyeglasses that could read pre-marked cards, and an X-ray table that could read cards face down on the table."

Billups and Jones were allegedly used as celebrity figures to draw in competitors for the allegedly rigged poker games.

The DOJ said that in April 2019, Billups was one of five defendants who "organized and participated in rigged poker games" in Las Vegas "using a rigged shuffling machine" with the victims losing at least $50,000. One of the defendants texted another co-conspirator that Billups should purposefully lose a hand to avoid cheating suspicions.

During that game, a defendant said one of the victims had "acted like he wanted Chauncey to have his money" because he was "star struck" by Billups, according to officials.

In October 2020, Billups was allegedly wired $50,000 following a rigged poker game. Before one game, Jones allegedly asked for a $10,000 advance and said that he "needed" action "bad." He was given $2,500.

Billups' career earnings exceeded $100 million as a player, while Jones made at least $20 million.

Over 30 people were arrested Thursday for their alleged roles in both schemes.

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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., had a highly scrutinized moment during Wednesday night's CNN town hall with Bernie Sanders, when the congresswoman addressed why she believed Republicans have more success garnering support among young men. 

"They are able to radicalize and target and exploit a generation of young boys, in particular, away from healthy masculinity and into an insecure masculinity that requires a domination of others who are poorer, browner, darker or a different gender than them," Ocasio-Cortez said, drawing backlash on social media. 

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., an SEC championship-winning football coach who coached at the high school and collegiate levels 40 years, responded to Fox News Digital when asked for his reaction to Ocasio-Cortez's statement. 

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"When I was coaching, I taught my players that this is the greatest country in the world, and if you work hard, the sky is the limit for what you can achieve — no matter what you look like. Unfortunately, woke Democrats have spent the past 20 years telling young men they are ‘racist,’ ‘sexist’ and ‘toxic’ simply for being men," Tuberville said. 

"But it didn’t stop there. Democrats tried to prevent men from getting jobs just because of their skin color and also tried to baselessly cancel them during the ‘Me Too’ movement. It’s no wonder that more than half of the young men in this country voted for President Trump in the 2024 election. If Democrats don’t stop demonizing men, they may never win an election again."

Tuberville, considered a leader of men during his coaching career, helped guide multiple successful college football and NFL players. Those players include quarterback Jason Campbell, running backs Carnell Williams and Ronnie Brown and cornerback Carlos Rodgers. 

DEMOCRATIC PARTY SCRAMBLES TO FIX IMAGE AS MEMBERS ACKNOWLEDGE PARTY 'LOST CREDIBILITY'

A September report from Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ) found that multiple indicators "point to substantial Republican gains among Gen Z," particularly noting that Democratic registration among young men shrunk significantly compared to young women. The report found Democrat registration among young white men, historically around 49%, fell to 29%.

A Fox News voter analysis for the 2024 election found that 55% of men voted for President Donald Trump, and 53% of men aged 18–44 voted for Trump, while 57% of men over age 44 voted for Trump as well. 

The Associated Press found that more than half of male voters under the age of 30 voted for Trump instead of former Vice President Kamala Harris, including roughly six in 10 White male voters supporting Trump. About one-third of Black male voters supported Trump, as did about 50% of young Latino male voters. Trump's support among young Black and Latino male voters jumped by about 20% compared to his 2020 support, the AP reported. 

Democrats are spending $20 million on a study examining how to speak to "American men" after losing ground with the demographic during the 2024 election cycle, The New York Times revealed in May.

The project, "American Men: A Strategic Plan," will "study the syntax, language and content that gains attention and virality in these spaces" of male voters.

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Prominent transgender swimmer Lia Thomas spoke in an interview for the first time since the University of Pennsylvania agreed with President Donald Trump's administration in June to strip the athlete's swimming records from the women's program archives, and adopt a policy to keep biological males out of women's sports. 

In an interview with WHYY, Thomas did not directly address the agreement with the Trump administration, but did send a message to those who don't believe biological male trans athletes should compete in the women's category.

"You don't get to pick and choose when you see me as a woman. You don't get to say, ‘You can be a woman in these situations, but not in these,' because you would never do that to a cis woman," Thomas said. "But for trans women, a lot of people think ‘Oh, it’s okay for me to be the arbiter and pick and choose when I see them as women.'"

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Thomas gave the response when asked how the athlete would address people who aren't against rights for transgender people, but are in support of protecting women's sports from male inclusion. Thomas went on to suggest that Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) prevents trans athletes from having a competitive advantage.

"There are massive losses to muscle mass, strength and endurance, and to make blanket statements like, ‘Oh, I see you as a woman, but you just shouldn’t compete in women's sports' is both transphobic and not reflective of the realities of being trans and being on HRT," Thomas said. 

A study by the Macdonald–Laurier Institute, a Canadian think tank, argued that "there is neither a medical intervention nor a clever philosophical argument that can make it fair for trans women to compete in women’s sport."

UPENN AGREES TO FOLLOW TRUMP'S MANDATE ON PROTECTING WOMEN'S SPORTS AFTER LIA THOMAS INVESTIGATION

"For trans women who have successfully suppressed testosterone for 12 months, the extent of muscle/strength loss is only an approximately (and modest) -5% after 12 months," the authors said. "Testosterone suppression does not remove the athletic advantage acquired under high testosterone conditions at puberty, while the male musculoskeletal advantage is retained."

Thomas also opened up on being in a relationship with a woman prior to making the decision to undergo gender-affirming surgery. Thomas recalled the moment in the summer of 2018 when the former collegiate swimmer openly admitted, "I’m trans" for the first time.  

"I and my girlfriend at the time, were staying on campus to do a summer class. She was and has continued to be a very staunch queer ally. And she invited me to go with her to a pride parade as like allies to be supporting. And as a closeted trans women, I was like ‘Yes, absolutely I would love to go hang out with cool, queer people,’" Thomas said. "That evening when we got home, I came out to her. And I think that might have been the first time I said ‘I’m trans,' out loud. And that was a very huge milestone, and she was incredibly supportive." 

Thomas competed for UPenn women's swimming team in the 2021-22 season, after previously competing for the men's team. Thomas went on to win NCAA Division I national championship in the 500-yard freestyle, earned three All-America honors at the NCAA Championships, and was named the High Point Swimmer of the Meet at the Ivy League Championships. 

Multiple women who competed alongside Thomas that season, both UPenn teammates and competitors from other schools, have spoken out about their experience sharing the pool and locker room with Thomas. 

Former University of Kentucky swimmer and OutKick host Riley Gaines infamously tied with Thomas at the NCAA championships that year, and went on to file a lawsuit and become a well-known women's sports rights advocate in the years that followed. Gaines' lawsuit against the NCAA includes a plaintiff list of several other Thomas opponents that year, including former NC State swimmer Kylee Alons and former Kentucky swimmer Kaitlyn Wheeler. 

The lawsuit partially advanced past motions to dismiss on Sept. 27. 

Another lawsuit filed by three of Thomas' former UPenn teammates has also been filed against the university and the Ivy League. The plaintiffs are former UPenn swimmers Grace Estabrook, Margot Kaczorowski and Ellen Holmquist. 

Fellow former UPenn swimmer Paula Scanlan was the first of Thomas' teammates to speak out about the situation, and the only to do so during and shortly after the 2022 season. The others have waited years to come forward with their experiences. 

Former UPenn swimmer Monika Burzynska said she was assigned the locker just one over from Lia Thomas' when the transgender athlete joined the women's swim team in 2021.

"I thought it must be terrible to feel like you're trapped in the wrong body. Just be so out of touch with who you really are," Burzynska previously told Fox News Digital. "You have these issues that are from afar and you never really quite think they're going to touch you personally until you're on a team with Lia Thomas and your locker is directly next to this biological male. And you would have never believed that you'd be facing this issue directly.

"And then when that happens, your views change where you still feel sorry for this person because they're clearly so deeply lost. But then it turns into more, ‘OK, this is not fair,’" Burzynska added. 

Meanwhile, Thomas was the recipient of the Voice of Inspiration Award at Rainbow Labs’ Violet Visionary Awards on Thursday. The event is sponsored by both the Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Football Club, among others.

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Reshad Jones, who spent a decade with the Miami Dolphins, settled his lawsuit against financial services firm Merrill Lynch.

The former NFL safety was awarded $9.5 million after alleging that a former financial adviser at the company defrauded him of approximately $2.6 million. The settlement was reached in August, but public reporting on the case was not made available until this week.

Investment News was the first to report details of the settlement.

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An arrest report issued in June stated that Williams took advantage of his position at Merrill Lynch to wrongfully access Jones' personal financial information and subsequently stole at least $1.56 million over a series of separate transactions.

An additional $1.03 million was embezzled through a complex money laundering scheme which involved bank and mobile app transfers.

EX-NFL STAR JAY CUTLER FACES LAWSUIT OVER DUI CRASH THAT LED TO JAIL SENTENCE

A woman named Octivia Monique Graham was named as participant in the scheme, ESPN reported. Investigators said Jones stated he had never met Graham.

Jones filed a complaint with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, an organization under the supervision of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. An arbitration filing against Merrill Lynch initially sought damages totaling $16 million, documents from BrokerCheck showed.

Williams was taken into custody in Palm Beach County, Florida in June on first-degree organized fraud and first-degree grand theft charges. Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office records show Williams is currently out on bond as he awaits trial.

Thomas has resigned from Merrill Lynch and "is not currently registered as an Investment Adviser Representative," FINRA records showed.

"In this case, the wrongdoer was a Vice President at one of the world’s largest financial institutions—Bank of America’s investment management division, Merrill Lynch," Chase Carlson of Carlson Law and Jeff Sonn of Sonn Law, the attorneys of record for Jones, said in a statement in July.

The 2019 season marked Jones' final year in the NFL. He appeared in 128 games and finished his career with 21 interceptions.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect appropriate attribution.

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Maine's trans athlete conflict reignited this week with residents taking action at school board meetings. 

During one meeting of the school board in the state's capital of Augusta Wednesday, two women undressed to protest the state's policies that allow biological males to compete in girls sports and use girls locker rooms. 

The stunt came while local parent Nick Blanchard delivered a monologue condemning the school board for enforcing the state's policies on the issue. Blanchard had spoken earlier in the meeting but returned to the lectern at the end of the meeting with the protesting women behind him to carry out the act. 

"I'm about to show you guys how uncomfortable it is for young girls," Blanchard declared to the board members. "You feel uncomfortable? Because that's what these young girls feel like when a boy walks into their locker room and starts unchanging in front of them. Yeah, you feel uncomfortable, right? That's what these young girls feel like every time a young boy changes in front of them."

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The two women continued to remove garments as Blanchard's speech continued. 

"This is Maine's capital. We should be setting an example for the rest of the state. You know what example you guys are setting? That we do not care about the young girls in the rest of the state," he added. 

A similar stunt occurred at a California school board meeting when local women's rights activist Beth Bourne undressed during a speech at a Davis Joint Unified School Board meeting Sept. 18. Bourne was also protesting policies that allow males in girls locker rooms. 

Both California and Maine's state education agencies are being sued by the U.S. Department of Justice for their policies that allow trans athletes in girls sports. 

MAINE GIRL INVOLVED IN TRANS ATHLETE BATTLE REVEALS HOW STATE'S POLICIES HURT HER CHILDHOOD AND SPORTS CAREER

Multiple individual school districts in both states have passed their own resolutions to support compliance with President Donald Trump's "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" executive order, while Democrat leadership in those states have refused to comply. 

Elswhere in Maine, the RSU 24 School Board adopted one such amendment this past week. 

Republican gubernatorial candidate David Jones spoke at the meeting in support of the resolution. 

"I don’t have anything against people who feel differently about what they are, but in my mind’s eye, and according to God, there is one man and one woman, not two different types of men, not two different types of women. Biology doesn’t lie," Jones said. 

"Don’t let us go backwards. Let’s do what we need to do to protect every single girl in the state of Maine and make sure that they are not hurt in any way shape or form."

Maine has loosely allowed trans athletes to compete with girls since 2005, when the Maine Human Rights Act prohibited discrimination based on gender identity. 

The Maine Principals' Association (MPA) updated its policies in 2024 to explicitly allow transgender students to compete on teams matching their gender identity. 

The state, particularly its Democratic leadership led by Gov. Janet Mills, is doubling down to defy Trump and protect its trans athletes' rights to compete against girls and share girls locker rooms. 

Many residents, and now school districts, have taken steps to oppose Mills. There have been multiple protests across the state, including two at the state Capitol in August, by activists looking to protect girls from trans competitors. 

A survey by the American Parents Coalition found that, out of about 600 registered Maine voters, 63% said that school sports participation should be based on biological sex, and 66% agreed it is "only fair to restrict women’s sports to biological women."

The poll also found that 60% of residents would support a ballot measure limiting participation in women’s and girls sports to biological females. This included 64% of independents and 66% of parents with kids under age 18.

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