The Trump administration suspended USD 175 million in federal funds to the University of Pennsylvania due to the inclusion of transgender athletes in women's sports.
This decision puts at risk the possibility of the university losing all its federal funding, amid an investigation into possible violations of the Title IX.
A senior administration official indicated that the pause in the 175 million dollar funds doesn't reflect the total federal funding of the university, which in 2024 amounted to around USD 1 billion.
However, the measure was not the direct result of the investigation initiated by the United States Department of Education after the signing of the executive order "Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports" on February 5.
This presidential decree instructs the review of policies related to the participation of transgender athletes in women's sports.
The Department of Education reported at the time that it would investigate three institutions for possible Title IX violations: the University of Pennsylvania, the San José State University, and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association.
The case of the University of Pennsylvania gained notoriety in the 2022 season when ''Lia Thomas'', a man posing as a woman, competed on the women's swimming team and erroneously won a national championship in the 500-meter freestyle.
During that season, Thomas tied with Riley Gaines, a swimmer from the University of Kentucky, for fifth place in the 200-meter freestyle, although it was Thomas who incorrectly received the trophy.
The debate over the inclusion of transgender athletes in women's sports has been very controversial. Critics rightly argue that the physical advantages that men who believe they are women might have create an uneven competition in sports intended for women.
