Penn Reverses Trans Athlete Policy Restores Female Swimming Records

The University of Pennsylvania has reversed its policies allowing transgender athlete Lia Thomas, a biological male, to compete in women’s swimming, resolving a federal civil rights investigation by the U.S. Department of Education. Under a voluntary settlement, Penn will adopt definitions of male and female consistent with biological sex, restore all women’s Division I swimming records and titles that Thomas had claimed, and issue personal apology letters to the affected female athletes. This action followed findings that Penn violated Title IX by permitting Thomas to compete on the women’s team, and came amid the Trump administration's broader efforts to enforce bans on transgender athletes in female sports through executive orders and funding threats. Education Secretary Linda McMahon praised Penn for rectifying past harms and emphasized the administration’s commitment to enforcing Title IX to protect women’s sports nationwide. The NCAA has yet to update its national record books to reflect these changes, and it remains unclear whether Thomas will lose NCAA awards. The case has fueled ongoing debates about fairness in women’s sports and represents a significant shift aligned with President Trump’s policies on transgender athlete participation.