The University of Pennsylvania has agreed to strip transgender swimmer Lia Thomas of her women’s swim titles under a new settlement with President Trump’s administration and the Department of Education. The deal mandates UPenn restore individual records and titles to female athletes and issue personalized apology letters to those affected.
UPenn also committed to banning biological males from women’s sports and defining sex based on biology in compliance with Trump’s executive orders on Title IX. Education Secretary Linda McMahon hailed the agreement as a victory for women and girls.
While UPenn stated that past policies were NCAA‑compliant at the time, the settlement aligns its athletics program with current federal standards. University president J. Larry Jameson said the school will apologize and update record books accordingly.
The resolution follows an Education Department investigation launched in February that found UPenn violated Title IX by allowing Lia Thomas to compete in women’s sports after changing NCAA rules. The agreement ends the civil‑rights case without financial penalties—but includes regulatory pressure from the White House on blue‑state universities.
