Missing Trans Student-Athlete, Lia Smith, Found Dead In Vermont

Featured Image via The Middlebury Campus

Trigger Warning: content contains mention of suicide

On Friday, Oct. 24, Vermont State Police identified a body found near The Knoll, Middlebury College’s organic garden and haven of respite, as Lia Smith, the trans Middlebury student who had been missing since Oct. 17. The Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington determined that Smith died by suicide.

Originally from Woodside, CA, Smith, 21, has been described as having had broad academic interests, and had been pursuing a double computer science and statistics major prior to her passing. She also participated in the Chess, Women in Computer Science and Japanese clubs. An athlete, Smith previously competed on the Women’s Swimming and Diving team, where she was celebrated in December 2022 for two diving wins that were the first of her collegiate career, plus excellence off the diving board, claiming victories in both the 1-meter and 3-meter events. By February, 2023, she was noted as an athlete to watch, having taken home six individual victories off the diving boards the prior winter, winning three times off the 1-meter and a trio of crowns off the 3-meter.

In January, the anti-trans social media account “HeCheated.org” started posting about Smith, repeatedly deadnaming her and belittling her accomplishments. Following the Trump administration’s banning of transgender athletes from women’s sports on February 6 and the subsequent NCAA changes, the account reported that Smith’s page was removed from the Middlebury College website.

Smith was also “an articulate advocate of transgender rights,” according to Middlebury College president Ian Baucom who shared thoughts in a post on Facebook. In February of this year, Smith spoke at a Trans Healthcare and Politics panel held at Middlebury about the hoops trans athletes were required to now jump through. “There’s been a shift, and as much as trans athletes were disliked before, now it’s definitely coming back to the forefront again,” she said. Smith explained that the constant hormone checks were difficult to do when her healthcare provider was at home out of state. “I remember one time my testosterone blocker was rejected and seen as a steroid enhancement by the NCAA, so I actually couldn’t compete for points at my first meet my freshman year,” Smith said.

Smith explained her choice to take a break from diving during her sophomore year because of the pressure placed on trans athletes. “It’s really hard putting on the suit every day if you are obviously an outlier,” Smith said. “It’s also really hard going in a locker room where you’re not welcome, and there’s really not a clear space that I should be going to.”

Smith had been reported missing on Sunday, Oct.19, by her father who had not been able to connect with her by cell phone. Word of the missing student spread quickly, as a search got underway which included an assist by drone and student search teams. According to a release by Vermont State Police, Smith’s body was ultimately located by a Vermont State Police Search and Rescue Team.

Over the days ahead, the college will be planning memorial gatherings for Smith on campus.

“She was a gift to us and we are so grateful that she was — and will always remain — a member of our Middlebury family,” Baucom wrote.

One Middlebury parent responded to Baucom’s post: “Lia was a member of my daughter’s swim family. I asked her what she would remember most about Lia. She didn’t hesitate… her wicked sense of humor, gosh she could make me laugh. I hope as your hearts begin to heal you will remember that Lia brought smiles and laughter to so many at MIDD.”

In lieu of flowers, Lia’s family asks that donations be made in her memory to the Prism Center for Queer and Trans Life at Middlebury College, which supports LGBTQ+ students on campus.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, the national suicide and crisis lifeline is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org.