Female athletes and advocacy groups are sharing their thoughts after the University of Pennsylvania announced it would prohibit men who identify as trans from competing in women’s sports and revoke medals won by Lia (Will) Thomas, who switched from the men’s to women’s swim team at the university.
The U.S. Department of Education published a statement Tuesday announcing that the University of Pennsylvania had agreed to “restore to female athletes all individual UPenn Division I swimming records, titles, or similar recognitions which were misappropriated by male athletes allowed to compete in female categories.” The institution confirmed this in a public statement on Tuesday.
The agreement comes more than three months after the Trump administration threatened to withhold $175 million from the school for allowing trans-identified male athletes to compete in women’s sports.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know.
In April, the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights determined that the school had violated Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 — which requires schools to provide equal opportunities to women and girls in education — by letting trans-identified males compete in women’s sports and enter women’s locker rooms and restrooms.
UPenn’s agreement has resulted in the school stripping trans-identified male athlete Lia (Will) Thomas of all medals and records the swimmer won when competing on the women’s swimming team.
A list of women’s swimming records compiled by the UPenn still includes a reference to Thomas, noting that “Competing under eligibility rules in effect at the time, Lia [Will] Thomas set program records in the 100, 200 and 500 freestyle during the 2021-22 season.”
Going forward, the institution will no longer allow men to compete on women’s sports teams or use sex-segregated spaces designated for women. The school has also vowed to apologize to female athletes and students harmed by its policies treating trans-identified males as females.
Stakeholders and advocates on both sides of the debate concerning the participation of male athletes in women’s sports offered their opinions on UPenn’s decision to amend its policies to align with the Trump administration’s order that all schools follow Title IX rules.
Mat Staver, chairman of the law firm Liberty Counsel, praised the development in a statement on Wednesday. “We commend President Trump for upholding biological truth and protecting women and girls in sports. This is a great victory for women and girls at the University of Pennsylvania and across our nation,” he asserted.
Paula Scanlan, a former UPenn swimmer who, in a 2023 interview, expressed her disgust over having to share a locker room with a trans-identified male, described herself as “deeply grateful to the Trump administration for refusing to back down on protecting women and girls and restoring our rightful accolades” in a statement shared by the U.S. Department of Education.
“I am also pleased that my alma mater has finally agreed to take not only the lawful path, but the honorable one,” she added. “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.”
Riley Gaines, a former collegiate swimmer who had to compete against Thomas in a championship put on by the National Collegiate Athletics Association and has emerged as an outspoken critic of policies that allow trans-identified males to compete in women’s sports, also shared her thoughts on UPenn’s move in a comment shared by the Department of Education.
“From day one, President Trump and Secretary [of Education Linda] McMahon vowed to protect women and girls, and today’s agreement with UPenn is a historic display of that promise being fulfilled,” she proclaimed. “It is my hope that today demonstrates to educational institutions that they will no longer be allowed to trample upon women’s civil rights, and renews hope in every female athlete that their country’s highest leadership will not relent until they have the dignity, safety, and fairness they deserve.”
Charlotte Clymer, an LGBT activist and writer, condemned the UPenn’s decision in an X post on Tuesday, writing: “UPenn was afraid of losing funding, and they’ve decided humiliating Lia [Will] Thomas is a worthy price to pay to save themselves. Lia [Will] Thomas did nothing wrong. [He] followed the rules and competed fairly and honorably. UPenn’s leadership are cowards.”
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
