Dr. Jack Turban, the director of the gender psychiatry program at the University of California, San Francisco, who focuses on the mental health of transgender youth, resigned from an NCAA committee on Friday following the organization’s compliance with President Donald Trump’s executive order. This order aimed to protect women’s sports by prohibiting biological males from competing in women’s and girls’ sports and granting the federal government the power to penalize federally funded entities that “deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities.”
In response, the NCAA revised its trans-inclusion policy to completely ban transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports. Turban communicated his resignation from the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports (CSMAS) in a letter to NCAA president Charlie Baker.
In his letter, Turban expressed, “Unfortunately, your recent decision to issue a blanket ban on trans female participation in women’s sports does not align with medical or scientific consensus. I cannot in good conscience participate in this kind of politicization of science and medicine at the expense of some of our most vulnerable student athletes.” He also conveyed his gratitude for his time with CSMAS, praising the committee’s commitment to competitive fairness and athlete safety, and highlighting the compassion and expertise of his fellow physician members.
Turban criticized the decision as politically motivated, noting that the CSMAS membership was not consulted prior to the change. The NCAA announced this policy alteration just a day after Trump signed the executive order.
In a statement, Baker emphasized the NCAA’s belief in the necessity of clear and consistent eligibility standards for student-athletes, rather than a confusing array of state laws and court rulings. He stated, “This national standard brings much-needed clarity as we modernize college sports for today’s student-athletes.”
Turban later expressed his disappointment on Instagram, stating, “I am sad to see the NCAA politicize science and medicine at the expense of some of our most vulnerable student athletes.
