In an unprecedented move, the University of Pennsylvania has agreed to resolve alleged Title IX violations by revising its historical athletic records and changing its policy on transgender athletes. The decision comes after the Trump administration's Department of Education threatened to withhold $175 million in federal funding, prompting Penn to adopt a strict biological definition for male and female competitors, as per White House guidelines.
The controversy centered around Lia Thomas, a trans-identifying former swimmer who gained national attention after winning a title in the NCAA women's 500 freestyle and tying for fifth in the 200 freestyle at the 2022 NCAA Finals. As part of the agreement, Penn will erase Thomas's name from institutional record books and retroactively award accolades to female swimmers who were impacted by Thomas's participation in women's competitions. Additionally, these athletes are slated to receive personal apologies from the university.
The substantial financial penalty that spurred this resolution included funding from the Defense Department and the Department of Health and Human Services. University of Pennsylvania president J. Larry Jameson publicly acknowledged the agreement, emphasizing Penn's dedication to fostering an inclusive community while also protecting the university's mission.
The crux of the dispute lay in the NCAA's previous policy, which permitted individual sports to govern transgender inclusion policies and often deferred to national governing bodies or International Olympic Committee criteria for eligibility decisions. Thomas had competed as a male swimmer before transitioning and meeting the NCAA hormone requirements in effect at the time. However, the NCAA has since revised its policy following President Trump's executive order targeting transgender athletes in girls' and women's sports.
Riley Gaines, a Kentucky swimmer who competed against Thomas and has since become an advocate for banning trans-identifying athletes from female sports, expressed strong support for the administration's actions. She lauded the agreement with UPenn as evidence of the government's commitment to defending women's equality and civil rights.
The Department of Education's resolution agreement with Penn details that the university must restore all individual swimming records, titles, and recognitions previously awarded to male competitors in female categories. Penn is also required to issue a public statement confirming its compliance with Title IX and adopt biology-based definitions for male and female categories as outlined in President Trump's executive orders. The university must update its public documents and website to reflect these changes.
Former Penn swimmer Paula Scanlan, who testified before Congress about her experiences, also supported the resolution. She commended the Trump administration for protecting women and girls and restoring their rightful achievements.
As this story develops, it has sparked a significant debate on the rights of transgender athletes and the impact of federal interventions on university policies and practices.
