TN governor signs bill to preserve fairness for female athletes in college
The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Christiana Kiefer regarding Gov. Bill Lee’s signing Friday of SB 2153, a bill that extends the state’s existing protections for middle and high school 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. An 18-year-old college freshman losing a spot on the team to a male athlete is just as unfair and harmful as when it happens to an 18-year-old high school senior. That is why we must protect fairness for girls in all grade levels. Clear policies are especially needed for college athletes after the NCAA failed to stand with its female athletes and instead punted policy questions regarding males competing in women’s sports to the unaccountable athletic associations of individual sports. No female athlete should lose her spot on a college team or be denied a scholarship because a male was permitted to compete on a women’s team. We commend Gov. Bill Lee and the Tennessee Legislature for enacting SB 2153 and extending protections for fairness in women’s sports to collegiate competitions. Thanks to their leadership, women in Tennessee 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’-fur)
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.