The University of Pennsylvania made a big move recently, aligning with an agreement from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. This came after it was found that UPenn didn’t comply with Title IX due to including transgender swimmer Lia Thomas in women’s competitions during the 2021-22 season. UPenn promised to give back individual titles and records to female athletes that were taken by allowing male athletes to compete in female categories.
Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer from UPenn, took home the win in the 500-yard freestyle at the NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming & Diving Championship in March 2022. Thomas’ name was removed from several records on the university website, but it still notes that these were set under NCAA rules valid at that time. Thomas made history as the first openly transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I title and set several program records during her run.
UPenn’s website now shows Anna Kalandadze’s 2024 record of 4:37.21 in the 500 free as the current top time. Similarly, Kayla Fu, a freshman at UPenn, had her 2025 record in the 100 free reinstated. Virginia Burns, who set the 200 free record with a time of 1:45.51 back in 2017, also saw her record restored.
The Education Department had begun looking into UPenn on February 6. The Trump administration then decided to halt $175 million in funding for the school on March 20 for not following an executive order. By April 28, the Education Department’s Office of Civil Rights announced that UPenn had indeed violated Title IX in how it managed the situation with Thomas.
Following this resolution, UPenn agreed to restore records and issue apologies to the female athletes who were affected. Lia Thomas was seen cheering for her teammates during the Ivy League swimming and diving championships in February 2022. The university acknowledged the situation in a statement by President J. Larry Jameson.
President Jameson mentioned, “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 further stated, “We recognize this and will apologize to those who experienced a competitive disadvantage or experienced anxiety because of the policies in effect at the time.”
This development highlights the ongoing discussions around fairness in sports and the inclusion of transgender athletes. As more schools and organizations face similar situations, it remains a hot topic in the world of athletics. Many are watching to see how these policies might evolve in the future to ensure fair competition for all athletes involved.
