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UPenn reverses woke policies and strips titles from trans athletes after settlement with the Department of Education

The settlement includes revoking the accolades that transgender swimmer Lia Thomas received for participating in women's competitions.

The Department of Education building in Washington, DC.

The Department of Education building in Washington, DC.AFP

Sabrina Martin
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The University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) signed an agreement with the U.S. Department of Education on Tuesday to correct Title IX violations, following allegations that a male athlete had competed in women's sports programs and accessed women-only private facilities.

The investigation, conducted by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), concluded that the university discriminated against female athletes by allowing Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer, to make the women's swimming and diving team. According to the report, this participation compromised competitive fairness and violated the athletes' privacy.

What does the settlement require?

As part of the settlement agreement, UPenn committed to:

- Withdraw all titles, records and individual accolades that have been awarded to male athletes in women's competitions, returning them to the original female athletes.

- Issue a letter of apology personalized to each affected female swimmer.

- Publish an official statement affirming that it will comply with Title IX and will not permit male participation in women's sports or the use of female intimate spaces by male athletes.

- Adopt biology-based definitions to distinguish between "male" and "female" in its sports programs, in line with executive orders signed by President Trump.

- Eliminate or correct any policy or internal document that contradicts these provisions.

"A great victory for women"

Secretary of Education Linda McMahon hailed the agreement as a significant step forward in defending women's rights: "Today is a great victory for women and girls not only at the University of Pennsylvania, but all across our nation."

"The Department commends UPenn for rectifying its past harms against women and girls, and we will continue to fight relentlessly to restore Title IX’s proper application and enforce it to the fullest extent of the law," she continued.

Athletes who lived through the impact of these policies also spoke out. Paula Scanlan, a former UPenn swimmer who shared a team with Thomas, thanked the Trump administration for its steadfastness and for taking a step toward redress. "I am deeply grateful ... Today marks a momentous step in repairing the past mistreatment of female athletes," she said.

Riley Gaines, a former collegiate champion and sports equity activist, added: "It is my hope that today demonstrates to educational institutions that they will no longer be allowed to trample upon women’s civil rights."

Background of the case

The investigation was opened on February 6, following complaints about Thomas' inclusion on the women's team. Scanlan testified before Congress that she and her teammates were pressured to agree to share locker rooms with a man, even with the offer of psychological counseling to adjust to the situation.

On April 28, OCR concluded that UPenn failed to comply with Title IX and proposed a voluntary agreement. If not signed, the case would have been referred to the Department of Justice for legal action.

What's next?

Going forward, UPenn is committed to ensuring that sports and private venues in its athletic community are clearly differentiated by biological sex, and to preserving fair competitive conditions for women.

University President J. Larry Jameson acknowledged that the institution must abide by federal regulations:

"Our commitment to ensuring a respectful and welcoming environment for all of our students is unwavering. At the same time, we must comply with federal requirement..."

This agreement sets a precedent nationwide. The Trump administration reaffirms, with this action, that women's rights will not be sacrificed in the name of ideology, and that the law will remain a tool to protect fairness, safety and equity in women's sports.

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