Lia Thomas, a former member of the University of Pennsylvania swim team, made headlines during an Ivy League meet in 2022. The White House announced on Wednesday that it is halting $175 million in federal funding to the university due to its transgender athlete policies. The administration’s post on X criticized the university for allegedly forcing women to compete with men in sports and concluded with a Trump tagline, “Promises made, promises kept.”
A University of Pennsylvania spokesperson stated that the institution is aware of media reports regarding the funding suspension but has not received official notification or details. The spokesperson emphasized that Penn has always adhered to NCAA and Ivy League policies regarding student participation in athletics, remaining in full compliance with regulations applicable to all peer institutions.
The decision to withhold funding from Penn follows a recent executive order by President Donald Trump, which bars transgender women and girls from participating in female sports. The order, which refers to transgender women as men, argues that their inclusion in women’s sports is unfair and detrimental to female athletes’ opportunities for success.
Lia Thomas, a transgender student athlete at Penn, faced backlash for competing on the women’s swim team and becoming the first transgender woman to win an NCAA swimming championship. The controversy led to legal action against Penn, Harvard University, the Ivy League, and the NCAA, alleging violations of Title IX, a law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in federally funded educational programs.
Amid investigations into Thomas’ participation and a similar case at San Jose State University, the Trump administration paused federal funding to Penn and another university. A White House official cited Thomas’ participation as the reason for the funding pause, expressing concerns about her access to the locker room. The official clarified that the pause was unrelated to the Title IX investigation and described it as a proactive measure to review discretionary funding streams to universities, without specifying the nature of the funds or the rationale for pausing them.
The Biden administration reversed an order that prevented trans girls and women from participating in women’s sports, which aligned with guidance requiring schools to allow trans students access to school sports teams and facilities according to their gender identities. This order also tasked the Education Department with investigating any potential violations. White House officials announced plans to collaborate with sports governing bodies, such as the International Olympic Committee, to ensure compliance beyond educational settings.
Recently, a judge permitted two trans students challenging a New Hampshire law that prohibited trans girls from joining female sports teams to broaden their lawsuit to include Trump’s executive order on the matter. Last fall, a federal judge in New Hampshire ruled that these two girls could try out for their high school soccer and tennis teams while their lawsuit progresses.
One of the plaintiffs, Parker Tirrell, a 10th grader who loves playing soccer, expressed a desire to attend school like other children and continue playing the sport she loves. Chris Erchull, a senior staff attorney at GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders representing the teens, criticized the Trump administration’s executive orders targeting trans individuals as a campaign hindering transgender people from participating in society. Erchull emphasized the importance of school sports in education, highlighting that no child should be denied the opportunity due to their identity.
Apart from the order concerning trans student athletes, Trump also signed an order recognizing only two unchangeable sexes, in addition to orders barring trans individuals from openly serving in the military and restricting access to gender-affirming care for trans individuals under 19 nationwide. However, the latter two orders have been temporarily halted by courts.
