The transgender swimmer 'Lia Thomas' will be stripped of her titles against real women

The University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) has agreed to revoke the academic titles and honors obtained by transgender swimmer Lia Thomas and will issue formal apologies to the affected cisgender athletes.

This decision was made following an investigation by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the United States Department of Education, which determined that UPenn violated federal law Title IX by allowing a person assigned male at birth to compete in women's sports and access women-only facilities. 

The official investigation began on February 6, 2025, and on April 28 the OCR concluded that UPenn had violated Title IX. It warned that, if reforms were not implemented, the case would be referred to the Department of Justice, which could result in the termination of federal funding.

In March, the Trump administration suspended 175 million dollars in federal funding allocated for research at UPenn, citing noncompliance with the law. 

The resolution agreement signed on July 1 includes the following concrete actions:

• Revocation of sports titles and records obtained by Lia Thomas.
   
• Sending personalized apology letters to the swimmers affected by competing against Thomas.
   
• Explicit prohibition of individuals assigned male at birth from competing in women's sports or using women's facilities.
   
• Adoption of "biological" definitions of man and woman under Title IX, according to executive orders issued by Trump.
   
• Official publication of the new institutional commitment on the university's website.
   
• Review and elimination of previous guidelines, communications, and policies that contradict the new legal framework.

The Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, praised the agreement as "another example of the Trump effect in action," emphasizing that it protects the rights of women and girls and safeguards compliance with Title IX. 

Several affected former swimmers, such as Paula Scanlan, publicly thanked the government's intervention and expressed relief at the restoration of fairness in their athletic achievements.

Riley Gaines,  a former swimmer from Kentucky, stated: "I hope this shows that you can't trample on women's civil rights," expressing confidence that dignity and fairness in women's sports will be upheld.

At the time Thomas competed, in 2022, UPenn was following NCAA policies, which temporarily allowed the participation of transgender individuals who met certain hormonal conditions.

Subsequently, the NCAA modified its rules to restrict participation in women's sports exclusively to individuals assigned female at birth, in line with Trump's executive orders.

Although the institution acted in accordance with the regulations in force at the time, the Department of Education stated that certain athletes (biological women in this case) suffered competitive disadvantages and even uncomfortable situations by sharing locker rooms with Thomas.

Who is "Lia Thomas"

Lia Thomas is a transgender swimmer and activist who came to prominence in March 2022 when Thomas was allowed to compete in a women's swimming championship for meeting the NCAA requirements at that time. Thomas's participation in women's competitions caused great anger and frustration among biological female swimmers, who raised their voices regarding the situation. 

Among the strong complaints caused by Thomas's participation in women's sports, it was noted that Thomas allegedly made female athletes uncomfortable in the women's locker rooms that Thomas was allowed to share. 

Thomas's actions sparked an intense debate about inclusion and fairness in sports. In June 2024, the Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed Thomas's appeal against the World Aquatics ban on competing in international women's events.