(The Center Square) – In a victory for President Donald Trump, the University of Pennsylvania agreed Tuesday to resolve what the Department of Education deemed to be a violation of Title IX by allowing a transgender woman to participate in women’s swimming.
The violation occurred prior to Trump’s executive order “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” issued in February of this year, with swimmer Lia Thomas winning the 2022 NCAA Division I Championship for the 500-yard freestyle.
Thomas was in compliance with NCAA rules at the time.
To resolve the issue, Penn has agreed to apologize to the female swimmers who competed alongside Thomas and restore any titles, awards, or records impacted by her wins.
The university has also agreed to issue a statement saying it would act in accordance with executive orders and Title IX, which it must post prominently both on the website and rescind any documentation to the contrary. The statement must include the adoption of “biology-based definitions for the words ‘male’ and ‘female’” also in keeping with the order “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism.”
“This Administration does not just pay lip service to women’s equality: it vigorously insists on that equality being upheld,” said Riley Gaines, who tied for fifth with Thomas in an NCAA championship race.
The former University of Kentucky swimmer initially offered public support of Thomas but has since positioned herself at the forefront of the debate.
“It is my hope that today demonstrates to educational institutions that they will no longer be allowed to trample upon women’s civil rights, and renews hope in every female athlete that their country’s highest leadership will not relent until they have the dignity, safety, and fairness they deserve,” said Gaines.
Among other outspoken activists for the cause is Thomas’s former teammate at Penn, Paula Scanlan, who told The Center Square that her objections to the swimmer included having to share a locker room, a perceived physiological advantage, and the expectation to conform to ideologies that accept trans identities.
Advocates for trans athletes say that individuals should be allowed to participate on the teams that align with their gender, yet polling indicates division among Americans on the issue, even amongst those who are generally supportive of equal rights for trans people.
For some, the debate is around a more nuanced discussion of physiological differences which could contribute to an uneven playing field. For others like Scanlan and Gaines, the topic often leads to outright dismissal of trans identities.
“As a former UPenn swimmer who had to compete against and share a locker room with a male athlete, I am deeply grateful to the Trump Administration for refusing to back down on protecting women and girls and restoring our rightful accolades,” said Scanlan.
The administration signaled its intention to continue with similar pursuits in the future.
“Today’s resolution agreement with UPenn is yet another example of the Trump effect in action,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. “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.”
