Dr. Craig Coburn has resigned from the University of Lethbridge's Board of Directors in response to a new policy regarding transgender athletes. (Photo: U of L)

By David Opinko

U of L professor resigns from Board of Governors over Alberta’s trans athlete policy

Sep 10, 2025 | 9:42 AM

A member of the University of Lethbridge (U of L) faculty has taken a stand against a new Government of Alberta policy.

Dr. Craig Coburn, a professor of geography and environment, has resigned from the U of L Board of Governors after it was forced to accept the new Fairness and Safety in Sport Act.

“After the end of the meeting, you are required to support the Board and the University in those actions, and I just found that I could no longer do that,” says Coburn.

He adds, “To stand for a policy that is expressly against trans females and all females, in general, who will be impacted by this, I thought was wrong.”

Coburn will retain his position as an educator at the university, but he feels that he will be able to more strongly advocate for students from outside the Board of Governors.

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“I have a privileged position. I am a full professor and that, obviously, includes tenure, and if I’m not willing to use my privilege to support others in their fight, then I really don’t understand why I would have such a privilege,” he stated.

The Fairness and Safety in Sport Act restricts the ability of transgender women and girls from competing in female-only sporting divisions.

People can now challenge an athlete’s eligibility to compete, and in cases where a complaint has been submitted, the athlete must provide a birth registration document that includes their sex at birth.

Premier Danielle Smith has previously stated that the new rules ensure fairness for cisgender female athletes, and proponents of the legislation have argued that transgender women are at an inherent advantage in certain athletic events.

Coburn, on the other hand, does not believe that this is the case.

“The premier, in this case, is probably following hearsay or non-evidence-based pieces of information that allow her to advance something that agrees with her base,” says Coburn.

“The fact that there is no evidence that says that this is an issue or a problem, and even if it was an issue or a problem, this is not how this is addressed. There are sport governing bodies and other organizations that have experts with lots of deep knowledge that tell you that this isn’t really a problem.”

Coburn believes that the Act is in direct violation of both the Alberta Human Rights Act and the U of L’s Harassment and Discrimination Policy.

He says the university’s policy states that people cannot be discriminated against, and that it universally applies to all students.

“It doesn’t start with, ‘Some Albertans have these rights and freedoms and some Albertans have others.’ We don’t do any of that. That’s not permitted.”

Rick Casson, Interim Board Chair at the U of L, said in a statement to LNN that they approved the province’s policy on an interim basis until October 10, 2025.

He explains that this will allow the community to provide input through their regular policy review and approval process, which will be shared with the government.

“We recognize this legislation has caused concern across our institution, particularly within and for the LGBTQ+ community. These are valued members of our university and we are working hard to ensure the University of Lethbridge remains a welcoming and inclusive place for all. University administration is meeting with affected groups to better understand their concerns and to ensure the right supports are in place,” says Casson.

Vanessa Gomez, press secretary for Alberta’s Ministry of Tourism and Sport, provided the following statement to LNN:

“When Albertans participate in the sports they love, they should be able to do so on a level playing field — no athlete should have an unfair advantage, and no athlete should have to put themselves at risk of harm to participate.

That’s why Alberta’s government introduced the Fairness and Safety in Sport Act and regulation, which establish a balanced approach to protect the integrity of female athletic competitions by ensuring women and girls have the opportunity to compete in biological female-only divisions, while also ensuring transgender athletes are able to meaningfully participate in the sports of their choice.

The Fairness and Safety in Sport Act and the Regulation are key to creating a more fair, safe sport system in our province and ensure these principles guide future development.”