Paula Scanlan, former teammate of Lia Thomas (trans swimmer), spoke out against the authorities of the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) and denounced the intimidation and discrimination to which athletes and students who do not agree with the gender policies of the school are subjected.
The case dates back to 2021, when UPenn student and swimmer Will Thomas (now Lia Thomas) switched from the men's swim team to the women's swim team to compete against women as part of his gender transition (which began in 2019).
Scanlan told Matt Walsh of the Daily Wire that officials hushed up complaints and threatened members of the women's team regarding Thomas' change, "The university wanted us to shut up, and they did that very effectively." She added that they were told that "they were the problem" if any concerns were raised:
They had a formal meeting with us, with Lia excluded, and we were told you would regret talking to the media. They also told us that Lia swimming with us is non-negotiable and provided counseling services to "help us stay well." It is incredibly surprising.
A teammate of Lia Thomas appeared in What Is A Woman anonymously. A few days ago she came to us and said she is ready to come out publicly and tell her story. I had a longer conversation with Paula where she revealed a number of details that weren't covered in the film. Watch: pic.twitter.com/wlknGmslJC
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) June 5, 2023
Scanlan had already participated anonymously in Walsh's documentary called What Is A Woman? and with these new declarations, she joins former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines in the defense of the rights of women and girls in sport.
Now that you’ve seen @MattWalshBlog's #WhatIsAWoman, you won’t want to miss out on the 1-year reunion featuring the heroes from the documentary. Watch here: pic.twitter.com/ZHKWvCd7PN
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) June 5, 2023
Extreme diversity policies at UPenn
Scanlan charged that the women's swim team was forced to accept UPenn's decision - to change Thomas - in a meeting and without being able to criticize it. After the change, the swimmers expressed concern about being granted access to the locker room, and according to Scanlan, alerted to their discomfort at having to undress in front of a man (with male genitalia) in the same space.
We had a team meeting led by the 2019 men's team leader about how Will Thomas would join the women's team. I felt shocked and a little uncomfortable, but everyone around me seemed thrilled that someone on the men's team was 'living their true selves'. I cannot speak for everyone. But I think it was a lot of shock, a lot of uncomfortable smiles. But that's just my interpretation.
Scanlan stated that in addition to concerns about Thomas' presence in the locker room, the swimmer improved his competition results by switching to the women's team. And he said that a former swimmer - who resigned from the team - complained to the school's Athletic Department that Thomas had a biological advantage over the women (the swimmer subsequently won a national championship).
The swimmer said she was surprised when her former teammate returned from talking to the UPenn authorities, as it seemed that she had been brainwashed and was "completely fine with Thomas competing, as if it was something magical and beautiful:
She came back from the meeting and suddenly thought we were part of an innovative team. Something was going on in the Athletic Department that wanted to keep us quiet. I was like, 'this is getting scary.'
On UPenn's website you can read about their extreme diversity policy: "Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination at Pennsylvania. The University of Pennsylvania values diversity and seeks talented students, faculty and staff from diverse backgrounds."
The University of Pennsylvania does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected class status in the administration of its admissions, financial aid, educational or athletic programs, or other University-administered programs or in its employment practices.
