James Uthmeier
TALLAHASSEE – In the wake of a related lawsuit in Texas, Florida Attorney General is demanding U.S. Masters Swimming rescind the policy of allowing transgender women to compete against women.
“We are calling on U.S. Masters Swimming, a Florida-based nonprofit, to immediately cease allowing any men to compete against women,” Uthmeier said. “We will always fight to protect women and girls from being subjected to men trying to compete in female sports. It’s our moral obligation to do so.”
In a letter to USMS, Uthmeier says the organization’s updated policy is still in violation of Florida state law because it fails to prevent men from competing against women and fails to clearly define sex in biological terms.
Florida law has defined “sex” in unambiguous biological terms, and if USMS aims to hold women’s swimming competitions in the state, they are required to adhere to the state’s definition.
Uthmeier says, under Florida law, the interim policy unlawfully discriminates against women based on their sex and violated their right to a fair and protected competition.
Last week, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued USMS following an investigation that determined it engaged in “false, deceptive and misleading practices” by allowing transgender women to compete in women’s events.
In May, Paxton launched the investigation after USMS allowed trans women to compete against women during the 2025 Spring Nationals swim meet in San Antonio.
“U.S. Masters Swimming’s insane policy of allowing men to participate in women’s competitions is both deeply unfair to female competitors and unlawful,” Paxton said. “The organization has cowered to radical activists pushing gender warfare, and it has deprived female participants of the opportunity to succeed at the highest levels by letting men win countless events.
“This lawsuit will hold USMS accountable for its actions, and we will continue to fight to protect the integrity of women’s sports.”
In the complaint, Paxton highlights what he calls USMS’s past false, deceptive and misleading practices of representing that its women’s sports would be exclusively for females to participate in and win, only to turn around and steal awards and recognitions for women by giving them to men competing in women’s events.
“U.S. Masters Swimming has also allowed these same delusional biological men to steal records, rankings, and recognition from these women too,” the complaint states. “Indeed, in April of this year, a biological man competed in — and won — five women’s titles in U.S. Masters Swimming’s Spring Nationals in San Antonio, Texas.”
Before the suit was filed, USMS revised the policy to bar trans women from receiving recognition for placing in women’s events but still allow them to compete.
“This is all too little, too late,” the complaint states. “U.S. Masters Swimming cannot save itself from the damage that it has done. U.S. Master’s Swimming swindled countless women and it must be held accountable.”
In a statement, USMS said it has been cooperating with Paxton’s investigation.
“It is deeply disappointing to see our organization and individual members publicly targeted in a lawsuit that appears to be more about generating headlines than seeking justice,” the USMS statement said.
The suit said Ana Caldas placed first in the five events in the 45-49 age group, and Jennifer Rines finished ahead of dozens of women.
Even before the suit was filed, U.S. Masters Swimming revised its policy to bar transgender women from receiving recognition for placing in women’s events, but still allowing them to compete.
But the suit said, “This is all too little, too late.”
In its statement, USMS said it learned of Paxton’s lawsuit on social media. It said it was reviewing the complaint and would not respond to questions.
