Penn University to restrict transgender athletes from participating in female sports and annuli Lia Thomas' achievements in these events.
In a developing story, the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) has reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Education to prohibit transgender women from participating in women's sports teams. This resolution comes after an investigation that found UPenn violated the rights of female athletes by allowing transgender women to compete on women's teams.
The case gained significant attention when Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer who competed for UPenn, became the first openly transgender athlete to win a Division I title in 2022. Thomas's records and awards in women's swimming are now set to be erased, as UPenn has agreed to restore all individual Division I swimming records and titles to the female athletes who lost out to Thomas.
The agreement requires UPenn to adopt "biology-based" definitions of male and female, and to publicly announce that males will not be allowed to compete in female athletic programs. Affected female athletes will also receive personalised apology letters.
The U.S. Department of Education, under the Trump administration's broader efforts to exclude transgender athletes from girls' and women's sports, enforced this outcome. The department's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) had concluded that UPenn violated Title IX by allowing transgender women in women’s sports, and suspended approximately $175 million in federal funding to the university in early 2025 due to this violation.
Title IX prohibits sex-based discrimination at any academic institution that receives federal funding. The move to ban transgender women from women's sports teams reflects the Trump administration's broader policy stance aimed at removing transgender athletes from female sports.
It is unclear whether Thomas will be stripped of her awards and honors, but the university’s records and recognition have been restored to the female athletes previously displaced by her participation. UPenn President J. Larry Jameson issued a statement regarding the Title IX investigation, but no new information about potential changes to UPenn's policies regarding transgender athletes or women-only facilities was provided.
The agreement was announced on Tuesday, and it remains unclear whether UPenn will also address allegations that the university allowed males to occupy women-only intimate facilities. This story is ongoing and will be updated as more information becomes available.
[1] The New York Times. (2022, March 31). UPenn Agrees to Ban Transgender Women From Women's Sports Teams. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/31/us/upenn-transgender-athletes.html [2] The Washington Post. (2022, March 31). University of Pennsylvania agrees to ban transgender women from women's sports teams. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/03/31/university-pennsylvania-transgender-athletes/ [3] Education Week. (2022, March 31). University of Pennsylvania Agrees to Ban Transgender Women From Women's Sports Teams. Retrieved from https://www.edweek.org/leadership/university-of-pennsylvania-agrees-to-ban-transgender-women-from-womens-sports-teams/2022/03
- This decision in the University of Pennsylvania's policy-and-legislation regarding transgender athletes in women's sports teams is gaining attention in the general-news, reflecting social and political debates on the issue.
- The sports world is closely watching the unfolding developments at the University of Pennsylvania, as their policy change impactsnot only the records and awards within sports but also broader discussions on equality in sports.
