Penn Caves to Trump Pressure: Lia Thomas Records Wiped Clean as University Faces $175M Funding Loss

The University of Pennsylvania has capitulated to the Trump administration’s Department of Education by agreeing to resolve alleged Title IX violations concerning trans-identifying former swimmer Lia Thomas.

The Department of Education announced Tuesday that Penn will adopt strict biological definitions for male and female competitors under White House guidelines. 

The school will ban so-called transgender athletes from women’s competitions and completely erase Thomas from institutional record books.

Female swimmers who were impacted by Thomas’ participation in women’s NCAA competitions will receive personal apologies from Penn. 

The university will retroactively award records and titles to these athletes who were previously displaced.

The Ivy League institution’s surrender follows the Trump administration’s suspension of $175 million in federal funding to Penn. 

This substantial financial penalty included money earmarked through the Defense Department and Department of Health and Human Services.

University of Pennsylvania president J. Larry Jameson issued a statement acknowledging the resolution. 

“Penn remains committed to fostering a community that is welcoming, inclusive, and open to all students, faculty, and staff,” Jameson said. 

“I share this commitment, just as I remain dedicated to preserving and advancing the University’s vital and enduring mission.”

Jameson explained the university’s position regarding the federal investigation. 

“We have now brought to a close an investigation that, if unresolved, could have had significant and lasting implications for the University of Pennsylvania.”

Thomas achieved national recognition by winning a title in the women’s 500 freestyle while tying for fifth in the 200 freestyle at the 2022 NCAA Finals. 

Thomas competed alongside Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines, who has since become a prominent advocate for banning trans-identifying athletes from female sports.

The NCAA previously permitted individual sports to govern transgender inclusion policies. 

The organization generally deferred to national governing bodies or International Olympic Committee criteria for eligibility decisions.

Thomas’ competitive history spans both male and female divisions. 

He originally competed as a male swimmer before undergoing hormone replacement therapy and returning to competition as a female athlete in 2021. 

His participation met NCAA hormone requirements that were in effect at that time.

The NCAA has since revised its policy to align with Trump’s February 5 executive order targeting transgender athletes in girls’ and women’s sports, according to Daily Mail reporting.

Riley Gaines responded immediately to Tuesday’s ruling with strong support for the administration’s actions. 

“From day one, President Trump and Secretary McMahon made it clear that protecting women and girls is a top priority—and today’s agreement with UPenn is proof of that commitment in action,” Gaines stated.

Gaines continued her praise for the federal intervention. 

“This Administration isn’t just talking about women’s equality, but instead actively defending it. I hope this sends a clear message to educational institutions: you can no longer disregard women’s civil rights,” she added.

The former Kentucky swimmer directed her message toward female athletes nationwide: “And to every female athlete, know this: your dignity, safety, and fairness matter, and our nation’s leaders will not stop fighting for them.”

NEW: Trump Education Secretary Linda McMahon reveals that the apology and ban on men in women’s sports at UPenn (where Lia Thomas swam) will spread to other schools.

“We’ve signed an agreement, and we hope that agreement will be a template for other universities who acknowledge… pic.twitter.com/M7h7fNC9oq

— Resist the Mainstream (@ResisttheMS) July 2, 2025

The Department of Education’s resolution agreement outlines specific requirements for Penn’s compliance. 

The university must restore all individual swimming records, titles and recognitions to female athletes that were previously awarded to male competitors in female categories.

Penn must issue a public statement to the university community confirming Title IX compliance. 

This statement will specify that the university will not permit males to compete in female athletic programs or occupy female intimate facilities within Penn Athletics.

The required statement must adopt biology-based definitions for male and female categories. 

These definitions align with President Trump’s executive orders titled “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism” and “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.”

Additional compliance measures include prominent website posting of the statement on both the main university site and women’s athletics pages. 

Penn must rescind any guidance that violated Title IX and remove inconsistent internal and public-facing documents.

President Jameson’s full statement emphasized Penn’s historical compliance with applicable regulations during the relevant time period. 

“The Department of Education OCR investigated the participation of one transgender athlete on the women’s swimming team three years ago, during the 2021 – 2022 swim season. At that time, Penn was in compliance with NCAA eligibility rules and Title IX as then interpreted,” Jameson explained.

The university president stressed Penn’s adherence to external governing body rules rather than maintaining independent policies. 

Former Penn swimmer Paula Scanlan, who previously testified before Congress about her experiences, issued her own statement supporting the resolution. 

“I am deeply grateful to the Trump administration for standing firm in protecting women and girls and restoring our rightful accolades,” Scanlan told OutKick.

Scanlan praised the federal leadership for forcing institutional change. 

“It is because of their strong leadership that my alma mater now knows it has no choice but to begin the process of reforming its policies to uphold women’s rights,” she added. 

“Today marks a momentous step toward repairing the past mistreatment of female athletes and forging a future where sex discrimination no longer limits girls’ potential.”

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