Under a new agreement with the federal government, the University of Pennsylvania has stopped transgender women from competing on its women’s sports teams, according to a statement from the Education Department on Tuesday.
This decision follows an earlier finding by the department about two months ago, where it concluded that Penn went against Title IX.
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That law is meant to stop sex-based discrimination in schools, and the department ruled that allowing transgender athletes to take part in women’s sports and access female-only facilities was a violation.
The case gained attention mostly because of Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer who represented the school’s women’s swim team during the 2021–2022 season. She made headlines by becoming the first openly transgender woman to win a Division I NCAA title before graduating later that year.
Changes came in February when the NCAA adjusted its rulebook to say only athletes who were born female could compete in women’s sports events. By March, there were no transgender athletes left on Penn’s women’s teams.
A clause in the new deal now forces Penn to give back all individual Division I swimming titles and records that had previously been granted to a transgender swimmer. This week, the university made updates to its official records for women’s swimming.
Three freestyle events, the 100, 200, and 500 meters, now list different record holders. Even though the listings note that Thomas broke those records under the rules at the time, her name no longer stands alone as the top swimmer in those categories.
University Moves to Comply with Agreement
As part of the resolution, Penn must write a formal apology letter to every swimmer affected by the former policies. The school is also expected to release a public announcement explaining its current policy. This announcement was shared by the university on Tuesday.
President Trump’s administration has repeatedly gone after colleges and universities, focusing especially on programs that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, which it strongly opposes. Trump has taken firm positions on issues related to sex and gender.
He signed one executive order stating that the government would only recognize male and female as the two legal sexes. Another order threatened to cut off funding for schools that let transgender athletes join women’s sports teams.
On Tuesday, Penn President J. Larry Jameson addressed the university community by saying that he welcomed the agreement with federal officials. He pointed out that letting the investigation drag on might have brought long-term trouble for the school.
Jameson also stated that when Penn allowed Thomas to swim on the women’s team, the university was simply following Title IX and NCAA policies as they were understood at the time.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon praised the agreement and called it a win for women and girls, not just at Penn, but throughout the country.
McMahon released a statement on Tuesday, thanking the university for correcting what she described as past damage to female athletes.
