Penn to revoke transgender swimmer’s records and apologise to female swimmers
SARA RANDAZZO
University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas and Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines on the podium at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships on March 18th, 2022. Picture: Getty
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Dow Jones
The University of Pennsylvania will revoke winning records of a transgender swimmer who competed for the school several years ago and issue apologies to affected female swimmers under a resolution announced Tuesday by the Education Department.
The resolution is the latest in the Trump administration’s ongoing campaign to remake higher education. President Trump’s ire against universities has so far focused on accusations of tolerating antisemitism and criticisms of policies related to diversity, equity and inclusion. Education Secretary Linda McMahon called Tuesday’s agreement (local time) an example of “the Trump effect in action.”
The administration had frozen $US175m ($266m) in federal research funds to the Ivy League university earlier this year while investigating whether Penn violated Title IX by allowing swimmer Lia Thomas to compete on the women’s team. While the resolution doesn’t mention any financial aspects, an Education Department spokeswoman said Tuesday the funds would be restored.
Lia Thomas celebrates after winning the 500-yard freestyle during the Women's Ivy League Swimming & Diving Championships at Harvard University on March 17, 2022. Picture: AFP
Thomas came out as transgender in the summer of 2019 after previously swimming on the men’s team and underwent hormone therapy during a cancelled Covid pandemic season. Thomas became the first openly transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I championship after winning the 500-yard (457m) freestyle in 2022. Thomas holds three all-time school records in freestyle events and one relay record.
Penn agreed to remove any records, titles or recognitions “misappropriated by male athletes allowed to compete in female categories,” the Education Department said. The resolution also includes sending personalised apology letters to affected female swimmers, adopting “biology-based definitions” for the words “male” and “female” and issuing public statements.
Thomas is the only transgender athlete to have participated in women’s competitive athletics at Penn.
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The university noted Tuesday that it complied with NCAA rules at the time Thomas competed and never set its own regulations around transgender athletes. NCAA in February announced new guidelines, following an executive order by Trump, that limit women’s athletic teams to those assigned female at birth.
“Our commitment to ensuring a respectful and welcoming environment for all of our students is unwavering,” Penn President J Larry Jameson said Tuesday. “At the same time, we must comply with federal requirements.”
In February, three former Penn swimmers sued the school and the organisers of an Ivy League championship for allowing Thomas to compete, arguing it made the competition unfair.
Paula Scanlan, a former Penn swimmer not involved in the lawsuit, heralded the agreement in the Education Department announcement. “Today marks a momentous step in repairing the past mistreatment of female athletes, and forging a future where sex discrimination plays no role in limiting girls’ potential,” Scanlan said.
Dow Jones
