Virginia Withdraws Women’s Sports Rule After 14-0 Board Vote, Drawing Swimmer Backlash
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 20
Virginia Withdraws Women’s Sports Rule After 14-0 Board Vote, Drawing Swimmer Backlash
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 20
Summary
Lily Mullens, a former Roanoke College swimmer, accused Governor Abigail Spanberger of abandoning female athletes after Virginia withdrew a proposed rule barring biological males from female-only sports and private spaces.
The State Board of Health pulled the regulatory action on July 30, saying after a statutory review that it would not proceed; the administration did not announce the decision publicly at the time.
That reversal halted a process launched under former Governor Glenn Youngkin after Mullens, Olympian Réka György and Carter Satterfield petitioned for the change in April 2025.
The petition drew more than 2,300 public comments, and the board voted 14-0 in August 2025 to begin the rulemaking before another 321 comments were submitted on the formal notice.
The dispute revives a broader Virginia debate over transgender athlete participation after Spanberger campaigned for case-by-case decisions by parents, schools, principals and coaches.