 "UPenn to ban transgender athletes from women's sports after govt settlement")
The University of Pennsylvania has reached a formal agreement with the US Department of Education to block transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports, following a civil rights investigation sparked by the participation of swimmer Lia Thomas.
The settlement, announced on Monday by the education department, requires the Ivy League university to amend its policies, issue public apologies, and restore titles and records to female athletes who were deemed to have been unfairly affected. Under the terms of the agreement, the university must also adopt biology-based definitions of “male” and “female” in line with executive directives signed by President Donald Trump earlier this year.
“Today’s resolution agreement with UPenn is yet another example of the Trump effect in action,” said US Education Secretary Linda McMahon. “Thanks to the leadership of President Trump, UPenn has agreed both to apologise for its past Title IX violations and to ensure that women’s sports are protected at the University for future generations of female athletes.”
Lia Thomas controversy
Lia Thomas, a transgender woman, competed for UPenn’s women swim team during the 2021–22 season after previously swimming for the men’s team. In March 2022, she made history as the first openly transgender athlete to win a US national collegiate title. However, her success drew criticism and sparked national debate over the intersection of gender identity and fairness in women’s sports.
The Trump administration responded by freezing $175 million in federal funding to UPenn earlier this year as part of a wider investigation into institutions accused of violating ‘Title IX’ by allowing transgender women to compete in female sports categories.
UPenn U-turn: What it means for trans athletes?
Now, in response to the federal findings, UPenn has agreed to update its athletic records to reflect eligibility under the new guidelines, though it has not explicitly stated whether Thomas' records will be removed.
The university acknowledged that “some student-athletes were disadvantaged by these rules” and committed to apologising to those who “experienced a competitive disadvantage or anxiety” due to its prior policies.
This is a major policy reversal from the university, which previously aligned its rules with the NCAA’s eligibility criteria. The decision could set a benchmark for how transgender athletes are treated in academic institutions.
Days after taking office for his second term, US President Trump signed an executive order instructing federal agencies to enforce biology-based participation standards in school sports. Following this directive, the Department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) launched the inquiry in February after complaints emerged that Lia Thomas was allowed to compete and use facilities designated for female athletes.
The investigation concluded in April, finding the university in violation of Title IX, a 1972 federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or educational programme receiving government funding.
Policy shift target vulnerable group: Critics
Paula Scanlan, a former UPenn swimmer who has spoken publicly about her experience sharing a locker room with a transgender athlete, called the settlement “a meaningful correction of past wrongs”, the BBC reported. Meanwhile, critics argue that the policy shift targets an already small and vulnerable population. The NCAA estimates that only about 10 transgender athletes compete at the collegiate level.
Lia Thomas has since graduated and no longer competes at the collegiate level. In 2022, she told ABC and ESPN, “I transitioned to be happy, to be true to myself,” pushing back against accusations that she transitioned to gain a competitive edge.
UPenn has not commented further beyond its official statement acknowledging the settlement.