The University of Pennsylvania has announced changes in response to a federal civil rights case involving transgender swimmer Lia Thomas. The school will amend its records and apologize to female athletes affected by Thomas’ participation in women’s swimming events. This decision is part of a resolution reached with the U.S. Education Department.
Lia Thomas, who last competed for Penn in 2022, made history as the first openly transgender athlete to secure a Division I title. The federal investigation revealed that the university’s policies during Thomas’ tenure adversely impacted female athletes’ rights.
In compliance with the agreement, Penn will restore individual Division I swimming records and titles to female athletes who were previously outperformed by Thomas. Additionally, the university will issue personalized apology letters to those athletes. The Penn Athletics website now displays other athletes as holders of the top times in Thomas’ events, with a note acknowledging the records set by Thomas under the eligibility rules at that time.
Penn President J. Larry Jameson addressed the matter, stating, “While Penn’s policies during the 2021-2022 swim season were in accordance with NCAA eligibility rules at the time, we acknowledge that some student-athletes were disadvantaged by these rules.” He affirmed the institution’s commitment to ensuring a respectful environment for all students and adhering to federal and NCAA regulations.
As part of the settlement, Penn must announce a commitment to prohibiting males from competing in female athletic programs, adopting “biology-based” definitions for male and female categories. This aligns with the NCAA’s updated policy, which restricts participation in women’s sports to athletes assigned female at birth.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon praised the agreement as a win for women and girls, emphasizing the department’s dedication to enforcing Title IX’s application. The Education Department’s investigation began in February and concluded in April, finding Penn in violation of Title IX, a law that prohibits sex discrimination in educational settings.
The resolution follows the Education Department’s broader effort to address concerns about transgender athletes competing in female categories, a topic that has sparked significant debate. While the NCAA has been asked to update its records where transgender athletes have competed, the organization has yet to respond to the federal request.
