Psychiatrist Resigns from NCAA Committee Over Transgender Athlete Ban Following Trump Orde

Dr. Jack Turban, a psychiatrist specializing in the mental health of transgender youth and the director of the gender psychiatry program at the University of California, San Francisco, has resigned from the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports (CSMAS). His resignation follows the NCAA’s decision to alter its trans-inclusion policy in response to President Donald Trump’s executive order.

Trump’s order aimed to protect women’s sports by banning biological males from competing in women’s and girls’ sports, granting the federal government the power to penalize federally funded entities that do not comply. Subsequently, the NCAA announced a change to its policy, effectively banning transgender athletes from women’s sports.

In his resignation letter to NCAA president Charlie Baker, Dr. Turban stated that the blanket ban on trans female participation in women’s sports “does not align with medical or scientific consensus.” He expressed his inability to “in good conscience participate in this kind of politicization of science and medicine at the expense of some of our most vulnerable student athletes.

Dr. Turban emphasized that the decision appeared to be based on political considerations rather than scientific or medical advice, as the CSMAS membership was not consulted prior to the policy change.

Baker defended the NCAA’s decision, stating that Trump’s order provides a clear, national standard” that would best serve student-athletes, given the conflicting state laws and court decisions. He added that the updated policy aligns with the NCAA’s commitment to protecting and supporting the mental and physical health of student-athletes.

Dr. Turban voiced his disappointment on Instagram, stating that he was “sad to see the #NCAA politicize science and medicine at the expense of some of our most vulnerable student athletes.”