By Anifowoshe Oladipupo
The University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) has agreed to ban transgender athletes from participating in its women’s sports teams, following a federal civil rights case tied to the participation of swimmer Lia Thomas.
The U.S. Department of Education announced Tuesday that UPenn has entered into a resolution agreement to comply with Title IX, the federal law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in educational institutions.
This follows a probe by the Office for Civil Rights, which found the university in violation of Title IX for allowing Thomas, a transgender woman, to compete in women’s events during the 2021–2022 season.
The decision is in line with recent federal efforts, under former President Donald Trump’s directives, to restrict transgender participation in women’s sports.
An earlier executive order authorized withholding federal funds from schools that do not define athletic eligibility based on biological sex.
U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon hailed the UPenn settlement as a “great victory for women and girls across our nation,” pledging continued efforts to uphold Title IX’s original intent.
As part of the agreement, UPenn will reinstate swimming titles and records to biologically female athletes affected by Thomas’s participation.
The school will also issue written apologies to the athletes and publicly commit to barring male-born individuals from women’s teams and athletic facilities, including locker rooms.
Lia Thomas, who previously competed on UPenn’s men’s team before transitioning, gained national attention in 2022 after winning women’s collegiate events, sparking heated debates over fairness in women’s sports.
Former swimmer Riley Gaines, who tied with Thomas in the 200-yard freestyle at the 2022 NCAA championships, welcomed the ruling.
“This sends a clear message to institutions: women’s rights and fair competition must be protected,” Gaines said.
