UPenn to Erase Lia Thomas' Records, Titles

UPDATE Jul 1, 2025 5:59 PM CDT

The University of Pennsylvania will no longer allow transgender women to compete on its women's sports teams, in an agreement announced by the Department of Education Tuesday that ends a federal civil rights case against the school. As part of the deal, UPenn will "erase" all Division I records and titles won by Lia Thomas, who competed for the school in 2022 and was the first openly transgender athlete to win a Division I title, CNN reports. "We will review and update the Penn women's swimming records set during that season to indicate who would now hold the records under current eligibility guidelines," the university's president says. Penn will update the records and titles to reflect those women's names and send personalized apology letters to them, the AP reports.

Mar 19, 2025 1:53 PM CDT

Another big-name university is in the crosshairs of the Trump administration, this time over transgender policies.

• Penn: The White House said Wednesday it is pausing $175 million in federal funding to the University of Pennsylvania because of its athletic policies on trans athletes, reports NBC News. The policies are "forcing women to compete with men in sports," says a White House tweet.
• Famous swimmer: In 2022, Lia Thomas, a transgender female, made headlines by winning an NCAA swimming event for Penn. A person familiar with the White House decision tells the New York Times that Thomas' role on the team factored into the suspension.

• Penn responds: A spokesman said the school was still awaiting formal notification of the suspension of funds. "It is important to note, however, that Penn has always followed NCAA and Ivy League policies regarding student participation on athletic teams," the spokesperson added.
• At Columbia: The move against Penn came after the White House froze $400 million in funding to Columbia University over allegations of campus antisemitism. The Wall Street Journal reports that Columbia officials are on the verge of giving in to all of President Trump's demands, including putting the school's department of Middle East, South Asian and African Studies under "academic receivership."