Donald Trump claims another victory in war on transgender athletes after Penn's Lia Thomas U-turn
Earlier in the week, the Ivy League school announced they'd strip the titles, wins, and records that Thomas - a trans woman - held for the school.
Now, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a case over state restrictions on which school sports transgender students are allowed to compete in.
The Court will be reviewing cases in lower courts which ruled in favor of trans athletes in Idaho and West Virginia and overturned state bans on transgender people competing. Arguments will be heard in the fall.
Just weeks ago, the Supreme Court upheld a ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth stemming from a case in Tennessee.
The DOE announced Tuesday that Penn is adopting strict definitions for male and female competitors under White House guidelines, adding that the school will ban trans athletes from women's competitions and erase Thomas from the school's record books.
Furthermore, swimmers impacted by Thomas' inclusion in women's NCAA competitions will receive a personal apology from Penn and be retroactively awarded records and titles.
However, Penn has added a note at the bottom of the webpage for the records of their women's swimming team which reads: 'NOTE: Competing under eligibility rules in effect at the time, Lia Thomas set program records in the 100, 200 and 500 freestyle during the 2021-22 season'.
The Ivy League institution's decision comes after the Trump administration suspended $175 million in federal funding to Penn – money that had been earmarked and funded through the Defense Department and the Department of Health and Human Services.
'Penn remains committed to fostering a community that is welcoming, inclusive, and open to all students, faculty, and staff,' University of Pennsylvania president J. Larry Jameson said in a statement.
'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.'
Thomas won a national title as a woman in the 500 free while tying for fifth in the 200 free at the 2022 NCAA Finals with Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines, who has since become the face of the movement to ban trans athletes from female sports.
The NCAA previously allowed each sports to govern transgender inclusion, generally deferring to national governing bodies or International Olympic criteria. The fate of Thomas' NCAA is now in question.
It was under that pervious NCAA structure that Thomas was allowed to compete despite originally swimming as a man before receiving hormone replace therapy.
Donald Trump and Riley Gaines are pictured together at a CPAC Convention in Dallas
Transgender woman Lia Thomas (L) of the University of Pennsylvania stands on the podium after winning the 500-yard freestyle as other medalists in March of 2022
She returned as a woman in 2021 after meeting the NCAA's hormone requirements at the time.
Since then, the NCAA has changed its policy to conform with Trump's February 5 executive order aiming to ban transgender athletes from girls and women's sports.
Gaines was among the first to issue a statement on the ruling Tuesday.
'From day one, President Trump and [Education] Secretary [Linda] McMahon made it clear that protecting women and girls is a top priority—and today's agreement with UPenn is proof of that commitment in action.'
'This Administration isn't just talking about women's equality, but instead actively defending it. I hope this sends a clear message to educational institutions: you can no longer disregard women's civil rights. And to every female athlete, know this: your dignity, safety, and fairness matter, and our nation's leaders will not stop fighting for them.'
The NCAA changed its policy on February 6 after Trump signed an executive order on banning transgender athletes from girls' and women's sports.
Thomas was banned from competing in elite women's races ahead of the Olympics by The Court of Arbitration for Sport panel, which ruled that she was ineligible to challenge World Aquatics policy on trans athletes.
Now, according to the statement released by the Department of Education, Thomas' records at Penn are being expunged as well.
The nationwide battle over the participation of transgender girls on girls sports teams has played out at both the state and federal levels as Republicans have leveraged the issue as a fight for athletic fairness for women and girls.
More than two dozen states have enacted laws barring transgender women and girls from participating in certain sports competitions. Some policies have been blocked in court.
At the federal level, the Trump administration has filed lawsuits and launched investigations over state and school policies that have allowed transgender athletes to compete freely. Separately, Senate Democrats in March blocked a Republican push for a national ban.
President Trump also has acted aggressively in other areas involving transgender people, including removing transgender troops from military service. In May, the Supreme Court allowed the ouster of transgender service members to proceed, reversing lower courts that had blocked it.
A recent poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that about 7 in 10 U.S. adults think transgender female athletes should not be allowed to participate in girls and women´s sports at the high school, college or professional level. That view was shared by about 9 in 10 Republicans and roughly half of Democrats.
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