The University of Pennsylvania has formally withdrawn Lia Thomas’ medals and records after agreeing to ban transgender individuals from its female sports teams. The decision followed a federal civil rights inquiry and pressure from the Department of Education.
Thomas became the first openly transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I title when she won the women’s 500-yard freestyle in 2022. She has since graduated and is no longer competing at the university level.
The school has since withdrawn its swimming championships and revised its records to reflect the changes. The following note is posted on their website: “Competing under eligibility rules in effect at the time, Lia Thomas set program records in the 100, 200, and 500 freestyle during the 2021-22 season.”
UPenn announced that it will issue apology letters to the women who lost places as a result of Thomas’ participation. As part of the deal, the institution has also agreed to employ biology-based classifications of male and female in the future.
President J. Larry Jameson stated, “While Penn’s regulations during the 2021-2022 swim season were consistent with NCAA eligibility requirements at the time, we recognize that these limitations disadvantaged some student-athletes. We accept this and will apologize to individuals who were at a competitive disadvantage or experienced anxiety as a result of the policies in place at the time.”
Education Secretary Linda McMahon stated, “Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, UPenn has agreed to apologize for past Title IX breaches while also ensuring that women’s sports are safeguarded at the university for future generations of female athletes.
“The Department commends UPenn for rectifying its past harms against women and girls, and we will continue to fight relentlessly to restore Title IX’s proper application and enforce it to the fullest extent of the law.”
The decision is part of a larger push spearheaded by Trump’s government, which returned to power in January. The University of Pennsylvania’s past transgender athlete rules led to the withholding of $175 million in federal funding in May.
The Trump administration has made it clear that it opposes transgender participation in women’s sports, and numerous colleges, including Ivy League universities, have been investigated this year. The Department of Education said UPenn’s deal is another step toward restoring parity for female athletes.