The University of Pennsylvania has agreed to prohibit transgender athletes from competing in women's sports and strip the record of former swimmer Lia Thomas as part of an agreement with the U.S. Department of Education.
As reported by Jordan Mendoza of USA TODAY, Penn entered the resolution agreement Tuesday to comply with Title IX, the DOE announced, as the university had been under investigation surrounding the case of Thomas.
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The University of Pennsylvania has agreed to prohibit transgender athletes from competing in women's sports and strip the record of former swimmer Lia Thomas as part of an agreement with the U.S. Department of Education.
As reported by Jordan Mendoza of USA TODAY, Penn entered the resolution agreement Tuesday to comply with Title IX, the DOE announced, as the university had been under investigation surrounding the case of Thomas.
Under the agreement, Penn will restore the swimming records and titles of its female athletes that were broken by Thomas. These include Thomas' marks in the 100 freestyle (47.37), 200 free (1:41.93), 500 free (4:33.24), 1,000 free (9:35.96) and 1,650 free (15:59.71), all set during her one season on the women's team after competing for three seasons on the men's team.
The university will also not allow transgender athletes to compete in female athletic programs, and it has to send personal apology letters to impacted swimmers.
Related: Trump Administration: Penn Violated Antidiscrimination Law By Using Trans Swimmer
Thomas became the first openly transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I title when she won the 500-yard freestyle event in 2022. She also tied for fifth in the women's 200-yard freestyle and was eighth in the 100-yard freestyle that year.
The NCAA did not respond to a USA TODAY request for comment after the announcement of the Penn resolution.
On April 28, the office concluded the university violated Title IX and issued a resolution agreement proposal, or it would either refer the case to the Justice Department or begin another process to cut the school's federal funding, Mendoza reported. In March, the White House cut $175 million in federal funds for Penn related to the issue.
Related: UPenn Loses $175M in Federal Funding Over Trans Student-Athlete Policies
The university said in a statement it will comply with Executive Order 14168, Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government. University president J. Larry Jameson said it is a "complex issue" and he was pleased to reach the agreement for the investigation.
A letter sent Tuesday to the Penn community on behalf of university president J. Larry Jameson, reads as follows:
To the Penn Community:
Yesterday, Penn and the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR) resolved a February 2025 investigation into Penn's compliance with Title IX for women’s athletics. This is a complex issue, and I am pleased that we were able to reach a resolution through the standard OCR process for concluding Title IX investigations.
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 requirements, including executive orders, and NCAA eligibility rules, so our teams and student-athletes may engage in competitive intercollegiate sports.
I would like to highlight a few important points and next steps:
- 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.
- Penn has always followed – and continues to follow – Title IX and the applicable policy of the NCAA regarding transgender athletes. NCAA eligibility rules changed in February 2025 with Executive Orders 14168 and 14201 and Penn will continue to adhere to these new rules.
- Penn has never maintained a policy of its own regarding the participation of transgender athletes in intercollegiate sports. Nor do we maintain our own policies related to other NCAA rules. We adhere to NCAA and Ivy League rules that are designed to ensure fair and transparent athletic competitions for all schools and participants.
- Consistent with the Federal Government’s current interpretation of Title IX and current NCAA policies, we have signed a resolution agreement with the Department of Education that includes the following actions:
- Releasing a public statement reaffirming our commitment to fully comply with Title IX in all of our athletic programs and to continuously adapt our practices as Title IX evolves over time. This includes adhering to definitions of sex – with respect to women’s athletics – that have been set out through two specific Executive Orders.
- While Penn’s policies during the 2021-2022 swim season were in accordance with NCAA eligibility rules at the time, we acknowledge that some student-athletes were disadvantaged by these rules. We recognize this and will apologize to those who experienced a competitive disadvantage or experienced anxiety because of the policies in effect at the time.
- We 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.
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. We have now brought to a close an investigation that, if unresolved, could have had significant and lasting implications for the University of Pennsylvania.
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