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CBS News
26-03-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Penn says $175 million in federal funding halted by Trump administration jeopardizes lifesaving research
University of Pennsylvania President J. Larry Jameson announced on Tuesday that the school has received "stop work orders" on $175 million in federally contracted research, a move he says jeopardizes "lifesaving and life-improving research." Jameson said in an update to the Penn community on the school's website that the university received the orders last week after they learned through news outlets that the Trump administration was going to suspend $175 million in funding over policies allowing Lia Thomas, a transgender woman, to compete in women's sports in 2022. The $175 million in funding includes research on preventing hospital-acquired infections, drug screening against deadly viruses, quantum computing, protections against chemical warfare and student loan programs, according to Jameson. Jameson said Penn is "actively pursuing multiple avenues to understand and address these funding terminations, freezes, and slowdowns." "Federal funding freezes and cancellations jeopardize lifesaving and life-improving research, the loss of which will be felt by society and individuals far beyond our campus for years to come," Jameson wrote in part. "Understandably, we are hearing concerns not only from scientists affected directly, but more broadly from students and young faculty embarking on careers in research." Jameson wrote that Penn and the federal government have a long-standing relationship, and he's hoping that the two can restore trust to continue the research moving forward. Jameson also wrote in the update that the Office of Civil Rights told Penn in February the school was under investigation under the Title IX Education Amendments of 1972, which is the federal statue that prohibits sexual discrimination in intercollegiate athletics. In 2022, Thomas made headlines and drew backlash when she competed for the women's swimming team at Penn. Thomas came in first in the 500-meter freestyle at the 2022 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships and had other top finishes in events at the Ivy League Championships that year. At the time, NCAA regulations allowed for trans women to compete on teams that aligned with their gender identity. President Trump undid those protections in an executive order signed in February, causing the NCAA to change its policy. Jameson wrote that Penn was following NCAA policy while Thomas was on the women's swimming team and that Penn "has never had a transgender student-athlete policy of its own." Mr. Trump graduated from The Wharton School at Penn in 1968, according to the Daily Pennsylvanian student newspaper.
CBS News
19-03-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Trump administration says it's cutting $175 million in funding to University of Pennsylvania
The Trump administration says it's cutting $175 million in funding to the University of Pennsylvania over policies allowing trans women to compete in women's sports. White House officials wrote in an email to CBS Philadelphia that the funding cut is connected to Lia Thomas, a transgender woman and former Penn swimmer who made headlines and drew backlash when she competed for the women's swimming team. "UPenn infamously permitted a male to compete on its women's swimming team, overturning multiple records hard-earned by women, and granting the fully intact male access to the locker room. This is NOT the result of the Title IX investigation launched by the Department of Education," a senior White House official wrote in the email. Thomas came in first in the 500-meter freestyle at the 2022 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships and had other top finishes in events at the Ivy League Championships that year. Some women swimmers disputed those wins. A lawsuit filed in a Massachusetts federal court seeks to have her records removed from the record books. Separately, the Education Department launched a Title IX investigation into Penn allowing Thomas to compete on the women's swimming team. At the time, NCAA regulations allowed for trans women to compete on teams that aligned with their gender identity. Trump undid those protections in an executive order signed in February. A senior White House official said in an email that the funding is an "immediate proactive action to review discretionary funding streams to those universities." The funding that was paused came from the Department of Defense and the Department of Health and Human Services. A Penn spokesperson said the Philadelphia-based university is aware of media reports and social media posts about the funding being pulled, but has received no formal notice from the White House. "We are aware of media reports suggesting a suspension of $175 million in federal funding to Penn, but have not yet received any official notification or any details," the spokesperson said in an email. "It is important to note, however, that Penn has always followed NCAA and Ivy League policies regarding student participation on athletic teams. We have been in the past, and remain today, in full compliance with the regulations that apply to not only Penn, but all of our NCAA and Ivy League peer institutions." Wednesday morning, the White House's @RapidResponse47 account shared a clip from Fox Business on X on the news. The White House official said Wednesday's action is separate from an Education Department investigation into Penn over alleged violations of Title IX , a 1972 law barring sex discrimination in education. City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, whose district includes Penn's campus, denounced the decision in a statement. "These funds have nothing to do with transgender student athletes — this is nothing more than a hollow pretext to target our community," Gauthier's statement said in part. "What Trump is really doing is threatening tens of thousands of jobs, our hospitals, lifesaving research projects, educational programs for underserved youth, and so much more." Gauthier added that some prior actions from the Trump administration have not held up to lawsuits and that she is proud that many transgender Philadelphians call her district home. "They make our community stronger and a better place to live. I will always stand with them," Gauthier said. Trump graduated from The Wharton School at Penn in 1968, according to the Daily Pennsylvanian student newspaper.
CBS News
08-02-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Penn swimmers who lost to trans woman Lia Thomas sue over 2022 event and Title IX; school faces Trump inquiry
Three former women's swimmers at the University of Pennsylvania have filed a lawsuit seeking to remove Lia Thomas' records from the record books, a suit that comes in the wake of President Trump's administration's recent rollbacks of protections allowing transgender athletes to compete on sports teams aligned with their gender identity. The suit dated Tuesday was filed in the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts on behalf of Grace Estabrook, Ellen Holmquist and Margot Kaczorowski. The nearly 90-page suit claims the student-athletes' Title IX rights were violated by Penn, the Ivy League, NCAA and Harvard University when they allowed Thomas, a transgender woman, to use the women's locker room and compete in women's events. Thomas racked up notable achievements in Division I women's swimming in the 2022 NCAA season, coming in first in the 500-meter freestyle at the Swimming and Diving Championships that year. She had other first-place finishes in events at the Ivy League Championships held that year at Harvard's Blodgett Pool. Before she began transitioning in 2019, Thomas competed on the men's swimming eam and followed NCAA and Ivy League rules for the process. Thomas had support from the Ivy League and Penn at the time, along with several teammates. But other athletes penned an anonymous letter asking the NCAA to bar Thomas from competing on the women's team. Fox Business posted a clip Thursday showing Kaczorowski on "Varney & Co." discussing the suit. Kaczorowski claimed to host Stuart Varney that the women's swimming team had an impression before the season Thomas wouldn't be using the same locker room. "We just kind of walked into a situation where we weren't told anything and we were told that Lia couldn't be ostracized, so we either could choose to go into a family-style locker room in the hallway or something by ourselves, or just suck it up," she told host Stuart Varney. The suit says Holmquist, one of the plaintiffs, missed the Ivy League Championships by one spot that she would have had if Thomas did not compete in the women's event. Thomas finished first in the 500 freestyle, 200 freestyle and 100 freestyle according to the suit. The suit was backed by the conservative Independent Council on Women's Sports (ICONS) and the plaintiffs are represented by sports attorney Bill Bock. ICONS and the suit repeatedly refer to Thomas as "a man" and "male" despite her gender identity. On Wednesday, Mr. Trump signed an executive order banning transgender athletes from women's sports. NCAA has since updated its participation policy, limiting competition in women's sports to student-athletes assigned female at birth only. Under the latest rules, student-athletes are able to compete and practice in men's sports regardless of their gender identity, CBS News reported. Varney asked Kaczorowski to react to that news. "We still want to hold those institutions who wronged us accountable and we want to get Lia's name off the record board," she said. When asked to comment, a spokesperson for the NCAA provided this statement. College sports are the premier stage for women's sports in America, and while the NCAA does not comment on pending litigation, the Association and its members will continue to promote Title IX, make unprecedented investments in women's sports and ensure fair competition in all NCAA championships. A representative for Thomas had not responded to a request for comment as of Saturday. This article will be updated if a response is received. Spokespeople for Penn did not respond to requests for comment. Thomas has also been the subject of false articles claiming she was stripped of her "medals" or collegiate accolades and that those were transferred to Riley Gaines, another former Division I swimmer who has lobbied against trans athletes. Unlike the Olympics, which awards medals to the top finishers in competitions, the NCAA awarded trophies at the events where Thomas had her strongest showings. Penn, San Jose State and Massachusetts organization under investigation, Education department says In addition to the executive orders, Trump's Education Department is opening reviews into two universities and one high school sports organization that allowed trans athletes to compete on women's teams. The agency is opening reviews of San Jose State University volleyball, the University of Pennsylvania's swimming program and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association. The Education Department said it proactively opened the new cases over suspected violation of Title IX, a 1972 law barring sex discrimination in education. Opening an inquiry isn't meant to indicate a finding of wrongdoing, according to department policy. Additionally, the agency said it is reviewing athletics policies at a number of other schools. It reflects the Education Department's shift in civil rights priorities as it aligns with Trump's agenda to target antisemitism and gender identity issues. The investigations also build on Trump's anti-transgender campaign rhetoric, which pledged to end "transgender insanity." Advocates for transgender students condemned the executive order Trump signed Wednesday. "Contrary to what the president wants you to believe, trans students do not pose threats to sports, schools or this country, and they deserve the same opportunities as their peers to learn, play and grow up in safe environments," said Fatima Goss Graves, CEO of the National Women's Law Center. Trump's executive order also prompted the NCAA to change its participation policy on Thursday, limiting competition in women's sports to athletes assigned female at birth only. It's unusual for the Education Department to investigate past violations of new policy, or to investigate without first receiving a complaint. San Jose State is being scrutinized over a player's participation on the women's volleyball team. A lawsuit filed by players against the Mountain West Conference argued letting her compete poses a safety risk, but San Jose State has not confirmed it has a transgender woman volleyball player. The team's season ended Nov. 30. University president Cynthia Teniente-Matson said San Jose State will fully engage with the investigation and comply with the law as it continues to "act within our authority to uphold the values that define us as an institution." The investigation at Penn focuses on Thomas, who graduated in 2022. According to the Education Department, the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association allowed a transgender athlete to compete on a girls' high school basketball team, prompting an opposing team to forfeit after three players were reportedly injured. The department did not identify the schools or give further details. Athletic associations typically don't receive federal money from the Education Department, and it was not immediately clear what authority the agency had to investigate the Massachusetts league. The department is taking exception with a policy in the association's handbook saying students "shall not be excluded from participation on a gender-specific sports team that is consistent with the student's bona fide gender identity." The league invoked that policy last year after a girls' basketball team in Lynn forfeited a game against a team with a transgender athlete. Three players were reportedly injured during the game, and the team was already down four to begin with, according to local media reports. The MIAA said it has historically complied with federal and state laws and is seeking legal guidance on its next steps. "We are especially interested in determining this investigation's impact on teams currently playing the winter season and on our upcoming tournaments," the association said in a statement. Lawyers who advise schools on Title IX say the Trump administration is taking an unusually aggressive approach by initiating its own investigations. Bonnie Young, a partner at Fox Rothschild, said such investigations typically aren't publicized until they're concluded. "The enforcement landscape is changing rapidly with the new Administration and the flurry of executive orders," Young said in an email. "Each day reveals new and bolder enforcement actions to bring public and private entities into compliance with the Administration's objectives." Title IX has been at the center of a political tug-of-war in recent years. Under former President Joe Biden, new federal rules expanded the law to protect transgender and LGBTQ+ students. A federal judge overturned Biden's rules this year, calling them an overstep. The Trump administration has been using Title IX to push against schools that provide accommodations for transgender students. Last month the Education Department opened another investigation into Denver public schools after an all-gender restroom replaced a girl's restroom while leaving another exclusive to boys. In his order, Trump directed federal agencies to "rescind all funds from educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities." The Education Department's Office for Civil Rights can move to cut federal money for institutions that violate civil rights, but only if it's approved by a judge and if the office fails to negotiate a resolution.
