UPenn Ordered to Strip Lia Thomas of Titles

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has ruled that the University of Pennsylvania violated Title IX by allowing transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, a biological male, to compete on the women’s swim team and use women-only facilities during the 2021-22 season. Federal officials have ordered UPenn to strip Thomas of all women’s athletic titles, records, and awards, restore them to female athletes, and issue apology letters to those affected. The university has 10 days to comply or face possible Department of Justice enforcement and further loss of federal funding, following an earlier $175 million federal funding freeze. Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor stated that the Trump administration will not allow male athletes to compete in female categories or use female private spaces. UPenn maintains it has always followed NCAA and Ivy League policies, but faces legal action from former athletes and ongoing scrutiny over its handling of transgender athlete participation. The case is part of broader Trump administration efforts to ban transgender athletes from female-only sports at the federal level.