A longtime USA Swimming official resigned Dec. 17 to protest the continued dominance of a University of Pennsylvania's transgender swimmer.
Cynthia Millen quit her position after officiating for the organization for 30 years, while preparing to officiate the U.S. Paralympics Swimming National Championships in Greensboro, North Carolina.
"I can't do this, I can't support this," she wrote in her resignation letter, The Washington Times reported.
"I told my fellow officials that I can no longer participate in a sport which allows biological men to compete against women. Everything fair about swimming is being destroyed."
Millen has called on other volunteer officials to quit if asked to officiate meets between biologically male and female swimmers.
"This is not right because by doing this, we're supporting this," Millen said. "There are no swim meets if there are no officials."
Lia Thomas, a 22-year-old biological male who identifies as female, has dominated women's NCAA swimming this year. Thomas previously swam three years for Penn's men's swimming team.
Since transitioning, Thomas has smashed multiple U.S. women's swimming records, and automatically qualified for March's NCAA National Championship meet in Atlanta, the Washington Examiner said.
The parents of about 10 Penn swimmers have demanded that the NCAA adjust rules that have allowed Thomas to swim with the women’s team. They say the "integrity of women's sports" is at stake.
"The precedent being set — one in which women do not have a protected and equitable space to compete — is a direct threat to female athletes in every sport," the letter obtained by the Daily Mail read.
"What are the boundaries? How is this in line with the NCAA's commitment to providing a fair environment for student-athletes? ... It is the responsibility of the NCAA to address the matter with an official statement."
Millen said it's up to the adults to step up and engage in conversation about the situation.
"People are saying, 'Why don't the swimmers just leave?' Well, those are 19-, 20-year-old kids," Millen told the Times. "It's up to us. We're the ones who are supposed to be providing this fair competition. [The swimming authorities] should be the ones who should be saying, Wait a minute."
Thomas is approaching records set by U.S. Olympic champions Missy Franklin and Katie Ledecky. Millen says it's because Thomas has a clear advantage in being a biological male.
"If Lia came on my deck as a referee, I would pull the coach aside and say, Lia can swim, but Lia can swim exhibition or a time trial. Lia cannot compete against those women because that's not fair," she said.
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