The University of Pennsylvania has found a creative way to preserve Lia Thomas’ swimming achievements while officially complying with new federal guidelines that required the transgender athlete’s records to be removed from the school’s official record books.
Following pressure from the Trump administration’s Department of Education, the university agreed to resolve alleged Title IX violations by adopting strict definitions for male and female competitors and banning transgender athletes from women’s competitions. The agreement came after the administration suspended $175 million in federal funding to the university.
However, despite erasing Thomas from the primary record books, The University of Pennsylvania added a special notation at the bottom of its women’s swimming team webpage. The addendum states: “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.”
Thomas’ individual profile page also acknowledges that she was “part of Penn’s 400 free relay that set a program record at the Ivy Championships.”
The placement of these records in footnotes rather than the main record books appears to be Penn’s attempt to balance between federal compliance requirements and institutional recognition of Thomas’ achievements during her time as a student-athlete.
Thomas became a lightning rod in the debate over transgender participation in women’s sports after winning the NCAA national championship in the 500-yard freestyle in 2022. She also tied for fifth in the 200-yard freestyle at the same championships alongside Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines, who has since become a prominent advocate for banning transgender athletes from female sports.
The controversy surrounding Thomas’ participation intensified when she began competing in women’s events after transitioning from the men’s team. Thomas began questioning her gender identity in high school, but those feelings intensified during her time at Penn. She came out to her family as transgender in the summer of 2018, though she continued competing on the men’s team through the 2019-20 season while undergoing hormone replacement therapy.
The treatment significantly affected her performance in men’s competition, leading to her decision to transition to the women’s division. Thomas has maintained that her decision was motivated not only by personal comfort but also by a desire to pave the way for other transgender athletes facing similar challenges.
University of Pennsylvania president J. Larry Jameson addressed the resolution in a statement, saying: “Penn remains committed to fostering a community that is welcoming, inclusive, and open to all students, faculty, and staff. 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.”
The agreement with the Department of Education requires Penn to provide personal apologies to swimmers affected by Thomas’ inclusion in women’s competitions and to retroactively award records and titles to those athletes. The university must also ensure that intimate facilities such as locker rooms and bathrooms are strictly separated on the basis of gender.
Conservative commentator Riley Gaines, who tied with Thomas for fifth place at the 2022 NCAA championships, responded to the changes on social media.
When former ESPN personality Keith Olbermann sarcastically congratulated her on moving from “tied for FIFTH” to “tied for FOURTH,” Gaines retorted: “Thank you! And while you’re keeping track, make sure to congratulate Emma Weyant, the right National Champ in the 500 freestyle, too. (If you’re insinuating 5th in the nation is bad, what do you call a man who ranks 462nd nationally in the men’s category?)”
Thomas’ competitive future remains uncertain. She was previously banned from competing in elite women’s races ahead of the Olympics by The Court of Arbitration for Sport, which ruled that she was ineligible to challenge World Aquatics policy on transgender athletes.
