AL governor signs bill to protect collegiate women's sports
The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Christiana Kiefer regarding Gov. Kay Ivey’s signing Tuesday of HB 261, a bill that extends the state’s existing protections for K-12 female athletes to women in college, ensuring they are not forced to compete against males playing on collegiate women’s sports teams:
“Women and girls deserve to compete on a level playing field. A college freshman losing a spot on the team to a male athlete is just as unfair and harmful as when it happens to a high school senior. That is why we must protect fairness for girls in all grade levels. Alliance Defending Freedom represents collegiate athletes across the country who personally experienced disappointment and loss when males were permitted to compete in women’s sports. Since the NCAA refuses to protect fairness for female athletes, it is imperative that states ensure women in college have the same equal athletic opportunities that they were afforded in high school. We commend Gov. Ivey, Rep. Susan Dubose, Sen. April Weaver, and the Alabama Legislature for enacting HB 261 and extending protections for fairness in women’s sports to collegiate competitions. Thanks to their leadership, women in Alabama colleges will not be subject to the devastating losses to men that female athletes in other parts of the country are experiencing.”
- Pronunciation guide: Kiefer (KEE’-fer)
Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, and the sanctity of life.
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ABOUT Christiana Kiefer
Christiana Kiefer serves as senior counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, where she is a key member of the Center for Conscience Initiatives. Since joining ADF in 2012, Kiefer has worked to protect women's and girls' sports and has defended the bodily privacy rights of students. She has also worked to protect the constitutionally protected freedom of churches, Christian schools, and Christian ministries to exercise their faith without government interference. Kiefer earned her J.D. in 2010 from Oak Brook College of Law and Government Policy, where she graduated first in her class and served as a teaching assistant in criminal law. Also in 2010, Kiefer completed the ADF leadership development program to become a Blackstone Fellow. She is admitted to the state bar of California, the U.S. Supreme Court, and numerous federal district and appellate courts.