Pennsylvania agrees to Trump’s request to deprive trans athletes of awards

The University of Pennsylvania will acknowledge that the Trump administration demanded that the university “restore” the swimming award and send an apology to the failed female competitors and lose to trans athletes, the Department of Education’s Civil Rights Office announced Tuesday.

The department previously found that Pennsylvania violated the IX championship because it allowed a trans woman to play on the women’s sports team — presumably Lia Thomas, who received national attention when she played the Pennsylvania women’s swimming team three years ago.

To end the investigation, the government has asked Pennsylvania to apologize to the Szeged women who “appropriate” the swimming awards and honors of transwomen. Multiple Title IX advocates slammed the department’s demands, saying the agency is abusing the landmark gender rights law to punish trans students and their institutions.

Pennsylvania was one of several higher education institutions and K-12 schools that the government aimed to allow trans women to play in women’s sports teams in the NCAA policy at the time. But this seems to be the first higher education institution to reach a resolution on the issue since Trump took office.

“Pennsylvania remains committed to fostering a community that is welcoming, inclusive and open to all students, faculty,” Pennsylvania President J. Larry Jameson said in a statement Tuesday. “I share that commitment, just as I continue to work on protecting and advancing the crucial and lasting mission of the University. Now, we have conducted an investigation that, if not addressed, could have a significant and lasting impact on the University of Pennsylvania.”

An official said in March that the White House was separated from the department’s investigation and the White House suspended $175 million in funding to colleges because Pennsylvania “notoriously allowed a man to compete in its women’s swimming team.” It is not clear whether or when funds will be restored.

Jameson stressed in the statement that the university complies with all NCAA guidelines when it swims in the Pennsylvania Women’s Team from 2021 to 2022. But, he said, “we say, “we acknowledge that some students are liable for these rules. We will recognize those who have the ability to stand out, they will enjoy competitiveness in a competitive situation.

The champions of the IX champion stressed that in fact, trans athletes are not explicitly prohibited from playing on women’s sports teams under the current Title IX regulations, which were completed under the previous Trump administration and were the same that Thomas was in effect when he played.

In addition to depriving Thomas of the award, Penn agreed to Ed’s public statement that people who are assigned males at birth are not allowed in Pennsylvania’s women’s sports, bathrooms and locker rooms, according to the department’s press release. The agency must also ensure that, under Chapter IX’s words “male” and “female” “biology-based definitions” and Trump’s February executive order, bans trans athletes from participating in teams that are aligned with gender.

The statement also rose Tuesday. In it, the university promised to follow Trump’s trans-athlete ban, and an executive order he signed, which withdraws federal recognition about transgender people, in terms of track and field for women.

In the department’s announcement, Paula Scanlan, one of Thomas’ former teammates, led the crusade against trans women athletes, said she was “very grateful to the Trump administration for refusing to back down, refusing to support protecting women and girls and restoring our legitimate honors. I’m also glad my alma mater agreed not only to take the lawyer’s path, but also to be a helpful lawyer.”

Shiwali Patel, senior director of the National Women’s Law Center for Security and Inclusion School, criticized the agreement as a “destructive and shameful outcome” in a statement Tuesday. She accused Payne of “complete failure” and the department’s “continuous manipulation of Title IX.”

“With trans athletes suffering real harm, the Trump administration’s obsession with civil rights protections including IX and the detriment of physical autonomy is real harm to women and girls, which is also not a threat to women’s sports with trans athletes who want to play sports with their peers, which is contrary to Trump’s lies,” Patel said in a statement. “In fact, their inclusion benefits all women and girls. We will continue to support Lia Thomas and his peers and their right to compete.”