UPenn Abides by Trump’s New Rules Regarding Limiting Transgender Athletes
By Jingwei Zhao
Following an agreement on July 1st, 2025, with the U.S. Department of Education, the University of Pennsylvania will forbid the participation of transgender women in women’s sports.
The government also demanded that UPenn pledge to “adopt biology-based definitions for the words ‘male’ and ‘female’” that abide by the new interpretation of Title IX under the Trump administration.
This agreement came as a result of a civil rights investigation regarding transgender UPenn swimmer Lia Thomas. She participated in the university’s swim team three years ago. However, this April, the Department of Education declared Penn’s support for Thomas as a violation of Title IX.
J. Larry Jameson, president of Penn, defended the university by stating that they complied with the federal law at the time Thomas swam for the team. He explains, “Penn remains committed to fostering a community that is welcoming, inclusive and open to all students, faculty and staff. I share this commitment, just as I remain dedicated to preserving and advancing the university’s vital and enduring mission.”
Education Secretary of the U.S., Linda McMahon, is satisfied with the agreement, as she stands against transgender athletes competing in women’s events. She explains that the new consensus is “a great victory for women and girls not only at the University of Pennsylvania, but all across our nation.” She expresses her enthusiasm towards the school for “rectifying its past harms against women and girls.”
Although Ms. Thomas has yet to give a response of her own, the government has faced some backlash from the new decision. Brandon Wolf, the Human Rights Campaign’s national press secretary, has criticized Trump’s administration regarding the agreement. “The American people deserve a White House that is laser-focused on making sure every student thrives. Instead, this administration is obsessed with making young people’s lives harder and scapegoating transgender people so they can attack independent institutions. This country deserves better,” said Wolf. There have been many instances of attacks against transgender communities, such as GLAAD ALERT Desk data showing 2.5 anti-trans hate incidents every day.
As of now, it is unclear whether or not the new agreement will lead to the government restoring the $175 million in research funding that it halted in March. According to The New York Times, the agreement seems to “limit the threat of additional repercussions for Penn.”
As for Ms. Thomas, the previous achievements she set in the 2021-22 N.C.A.A. swimming championships are no longer valid, and she is no longer considered a record holder. When she first set the records, she received immense support from teammates and transgender rights activists. However, over a dozen people from the UPenn team itself complained that Thomas had “an unfair advantage over competition in the women’s category.” For example, men and women have hormonal and biological differences that generally lead to men being physically stronger.
Former UPenn swimmer Paula Scanlan also regarded the agreement as “a momentous step in repairing the past mistreatment of female athletes, and forging a future where sex discrimination plays no role in limiting girls’ potential.” She said she was “deeply grateful to the Trump administration for refusing to back down on protecting women and girls and restoring our rightful accolades.”
After multiple Penn swimmers sued the school for Thomas’ participation, President Trump signed an executive order, leading to the N.C.A.A. banning transgender women from competing in women’s events. Dr. Jameson explained that the university acknowledged the disadvantages some swimmers faced under the rules when Ms. Thomas was still competing. To address this issue, he added that UPenn will “review and update the Penn women’s swimming records set during that season to indicate who would now hold the records under current eligibility guidelines.”
