Nicole Prussman: Pennsylvania Dems have a chance to do the right thing
Fifty-two years after Title IX guaranteed opportunity and safety for girls, Pennsylvania still hasn’t secured those protections in state law. While Republicans in both the Pennsylvania Senate and House have advanced legislation to preserve fairness and biological reality, Democrats in the General Assembly have refused even to bring these bipartisan bills to the floor. Their obstruction has blocked commonsense protections supported by more than 80 percent of Pennsylvanians — an overwhelming majority that cuts across party lines.
As a Pennsylvania educator and the mother of two girl athletes, I’ve seen the difference that fairness makes. Sports build confidence, discipline, and teamwork — values that carry into adulthood. But when politics override biology, girls lose more than trophies; they lose trust that their effort and safety matter.
There is also a very real emotional toll when fairness is ignored. Girls train for years believing that hard work leads to opportunity. When they are suddenly placed in situations where biology — not effort — determines the outcome, it creates stress, anxiety, and discouragement. Instead of stepping onto a field with confidence, many young women now compete wondering whether they are safe, whether the rules still apply to them, and whether the work they’ve invested still matters. Fairness isn’t just a sports principle— it is essential to protecting the mental health and well-being of female athletes.
Members from our legislative committee recently met with House Democratic Leader Matt Bradford’s office to ask why SB 9 has cycled through four committees without reaching the House floor. Instead of collaboration, we met dismissal. His chief of staff and counsel, Anne Baloga, brushed the matter aside as unimportant and “not a problem in Pennsylvania.” That claim ignores the truth playing out in our schools and athletic fields.
This is not about being against anyone. It is about common sense and supporting fairness, safety, and opportunity for our girls.
Across the country, courts have struck down overreaching federal regulations and reminded states that the responsibility for protecting fairness now rests with them. Senate Bill 9, House Bill 158, and House Bill 1849 would fulfill that duty here — safeguarding girls’ sports, locker rooms, and scholarships while reaffirming the original intent of Title IX.
Instead, Democratic leadership has stalled these bills in committee session after session. Majority Leader Matt Bradford has repeatedly refused to allow even a vote, leaving parents and their girls waiting for courage that never comes. Dismissing an 80/20 issue — one grounded in safety and fairness — isn’t leadership. It’s an embarrassment.
Pennsylvania shouldn’t need the federal government to intervene or threaten funding to do what is right. Governor Josh Shapiro and Democratic leaders have the choice to do the right thing for our girls — by allowing open debate on the House floor and standing for the rights of girls. The question is whether they will.
Every delay chips away at trust. Every silence tells young women their safety is negotiable. It’s time for the Pennsylvania legislature to act — to protect our daughters, restore fairness, and honor the promise that Title IX made half a century ago.
Nicole Prussman is an educational advocate and the Moms for Liberty PA Legislative Chair.
