DOVER, DE — Senator Bryant Richardson (R – Seaford) has introduced Senate Bill 215 (SB 215), legislation that will protect fairness in girls’ athletics by ensuring that interscholastic sports teams in Delaware are designated based on biological sex.
The bill, titled the Fairness in Girls’ Sports Act, creates guidelines for school districts, charter schools, and member schools of the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association (DIAA) to maintain sex-specific athletic teams, while allowing flexibility when a girls’ team is not available. Supporters say the legislation reinforces the intent of Title IX by preserving equal athletic opportunities for female students.
“Girls deserve a level playing field where they can compete fairly, safely, and with confidence,” said Senator Richardson. “This legislation will protect the opportunities that generations of women fought hard to secure, from championships and records to scholarships and long-term benefits that come from athletic achievement.”
In addition to competitive fairness, Senator Richardson noted that it’s important to maintain privacy and safety in school athletic environments, including locker rooms and other sex-specific spaces associated with sports participation.
“This is also about respecting the privacy and dignity of young women,” Senator Richardson said. “Our schools should be places where students feel safe and not just on the field of play, but also in private spaces like locker rooms where biological differences matter.”
SB 215 requires athletic teams to be designated as male, female, or coed based on biological sex as recorded at or near birth, while keeping the option for female athletes to compete on male teams when a corresponding girls’ team is not offered.
SB 215 has been assigned to the Senate Education Committee. The General Assembly will reconvene next Tuesday, January 13, 2026.
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