Office for Civil Rights orders UPenn to reinstate female athletic records won by men
In its decision, the office ordered the university to remove records from any men who have accomplishments in women’s sports at the university.
The Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights recently decided that the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) violated Title IX protections for female student athlete.
The Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights recently decided that the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) violated Title IX protections for female student athletes by allowing a man to compete in women’s swimming.
In its decision, the office ordered the university to remove records from any men who have accomplishments in women’s sports at the university.
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A department statement on Monday appears to concern former swimmer Lia Thomas, formerly known as William Thomas, but does not directly name him.
Thomas competed for UPenn in 2022 and won an NCAA national title against female competitors. The university went on to nominate him for the NCAA Woman of the Year award.
“Little girls who look up to Riley Gaines and Paula Scanlan can find hope in today’s action – the Trump Administration will not allow male athletes to invade female private spaces or compete in female categories,” Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor said in the department’s press release.
“UPenn has a choice to make: do the right thing for its female students and come into full compliance with Title IX immediately or continue to advance an extremist political project that violates federal antidiscrimination law and puts UPenn’s federal funding at risk,” Trainor continued.
The office’s ruling proposes a Resolution Agreement that requires the university to declare its intention to abide by Title IX requirements, restore awards to female athletes and apologize to women affected by its policies.
Specifically, the Office asks the university to “[r]estore to all female athletes all individual athletic records, titles, honors, awards or similar recognition for Division I swimming competitions misappropriated by male athletes competing in female categories.”
Last month, the Trump administration halted $175 million in federal funding to UPenn for its transgender athlete policies.
“This is just a taste of what could be coming down the pipe for Penn,” a Trump administration official told Fox Business at the time.
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Similarly, President Trump signed an executive order in February aimed at “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.”
Campus Reform has contacted the University of Pennsylvania for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
