NCAA president Charlie Baker sent a message to women’s college athletes who are uncomfortable sharing locker rooms with transgender athletes on Tuesday, putting the responsibility of their own safety squarely on the women themselves.
During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing over legalized sports gambling, Sen. Josh Halwey, R-Mo., questioned Baker about the NCAA’s policies that have allowed trans athletes to compete on women’s teams. When Hawley confronted Baker about the NCAA policy that states “transgender student athletes should be able to use the locker room, shower and toilet facilities in accordance with their gender identity.”
Baker, the former Democrat governor of Massachusetts, responded by insisting other athletes have the option to find other accommodations if they’re uncomfortable with it.
“Everybody else should have an opportunity to use other facilities if they wish to do so,” Baker said.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Baker added that NCAA guidelines give the institutions and organizations that host college sporting events, who he referred to as “locals,” the option to accommodate athletes however they see fit.
“I believe our guidelines give people optionality in how they choose to use their facilities,” Baker said. “We told the local folks who hosted our tournaments that they need to make accommodations for the people who are playing.”
Baker also refused to initially agree with the notion that biological males have physical advantages over female athletes. When asked by Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., if trans athletes are at an advantage, Baker said the idea was debatable.
“There’s not a lot of research on it, but it’s certainly debatable,” Baker said.
Kennedy posed the question a second time, asking if it Baker didn’t think “a biological male has an advantage every time competing against a biological female,” the NCAA president changed his answer.
“I think the way you defined it, yes, I would agree with you,” Baker said.
When Baker was pressed about why he and the NCAA hadn’t taken action to amend its policies to prevent trans inclusion in women’s sports, he repeatedly cited federal law and recent rulings of federal courts that have enabled it. Kennedy passionately encouraged Baker to do something about it anyway.
SJSU WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL’S 1ST OPPONENT DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT TRANS PLAYER, SUGGESTS MATCH WOULDN’T HAVE HAPPENED
“Why don’t you go to Amazon and buy a spine online and take stand?” Kennedy yelled at Baker.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., also lambasted Baker for the NCAA’s current pro-trans policies during the hearing.