Trump Administration’s Crackdown on Trans Athlete Inclusion Sparks Debate, Former UPenn Swimmers Speak Out
The debate surrounding transgender athlete inclusion in women’s sports has intensified, with the Trump administration taking a more assertive stance and prompting strong reactions from various stakeholders. A recent decision by the administration to pause $175 million in federal funding to the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) over its inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s sports has ignited further discussion and brought the issue to the forefront of public attention.
The move came after Lia Thomas, a transgender woman, competed for UPenn’s women’s swimming team, sparking controversy and raising concerns about fairness and competitive balance. Several female athletes who competed alongside Thomas have voiced their support for the Trump administration’s action, claiming that it addresses violations of federal law and harm to female athletes.
Former UPenn Swimmers Celebrate Funding Pause
Grace Estabrook, Margot Kaczorowski, and Ellen Holmquist, three former UPenn swimmers who competed with Thomas, issued a joint statement through the Independent Council for Women’s Sports (ICONS), expressing their gratitude for the Trump administration’s decision. They stated that universities are beginning to recognize the "cost" of "openly harming female students" on their campuses and expressed hope that the pressure on institutions would continue to increase.
The former swimmers alleged that UPenn and other NCAA institutions, under NCAA policy and their own leadership, have violated federal law and harmed women by "knowingly stealing opportunities and awards from women," "placing women in physical danger," and "facilitating the sexual harassment of female student athletes."
The statement emphasized that all women on college campuses and under NCAA regulations should be assured of Title IX protections, and institutions that disregard the well-being of women should not be allowed to "rewrite or ignore federal protections that women rely on."
UPenn Responds to Funding Pause, Cites Compliance with NCAA and Ivy League Policies
In response to the funding pause, a UPenn spokesperson stated that the university had not received any official notification of the action and maintained that it was in full compliance with NCAA and Ivy League policies. The spokesperson emphasized that UPenn has always followed NCAA and Ivy League policies regarding student participation on athletic teams and remains in full compliance with the regulations that apply to not only Penn but also all of its NCAA and Ivy League peer institutions.
Individual Statement from Grace Estabrook
Grace Estabrook provided an individual statement to Fox News Digital, expressing her gratitude for the administration’s recognition of federal violations and taking action. However, she emphasized the need for institutions to be held fully accountable, demanding clear policy changes, the restoration of prior records, awards, and recognitions to the women who deserve them, and for the institutions that facilitated sexual harassment and suffering to be fully aware of the wrongs they have done and the pain they have caused.
Estabrook expressed her appreciation for the support that ICONS has given her and her teammates, stating that they have given them their voices back after the Ivy League tried to silence them.
Lawsuit Against UPenn, Ivy League, and NCAA
Estabrook, Kaczorowski, and Holmquist are currently engaged in a lawsuit against UPenn, the Ivy League, and the NCAA, citing their experience with Thomas and the institutions’ handling of the situation. The suit seeks to have all of Thomas’ accolades in the women’s category rescinded, claiming that by allowing Thomas to compete, the institutions "injured them and violated federal law."
Background on Lia Thomas
Thomas, a biological male, previously competed for the UPenn men’s swimming team from 2017 to 2020 under the name Will Thomas. In the 2022 Ivy League Swimming Championships, Thomas came in first in the 500-, 200-, and 100-yard freestyle races, setting pool and Ivy League records and becoming the highest-scoring swimmer at the entire meet.
Allegations of Locker Room Use and Pro-Trans Ideology
According to the lawsuit, Thomas was introduced to the women’s swimmers during a team meeting in Fall 2019 as their incoming teammate. The women swimmers claimed that the women’s swimming head coach Mike Schnur allegedly told them that Thomas would not be sharing a locker room with them when they asked after the initial introduction.
However, the lawsuit alleges that this changed later, and when UPenn’s women’s swimmers returned to school in the fall of 2021, they were shocked to discover that Thomas was being allowed to use the women’s locker room at UPenn and would be allowed to use the women’s locker room at swim meets. Margot Kaczorowski claims that she only learned that Thomas had been authorized by UPenn to use the women’s locker room when she walked in to find Thomas in front of her changing his clothing.
The plaintiffs also allege that university administrators pushed pro-trans ideology onto them throughout the process of accepting Thomas on the team and in their locker room. The former swimmers claim that they were led to feel that their concerns over being teammates with Thomas were rooted in a "psychological problem."
The lawsuit alleges that UPenn administrators told the women that if anyone was struggling with accepting Thomas’s participation on the UPenn Women’s team, they should seek counseling and support from CAPS and the LBGTQ center. The administrators also invited the women to a talk titled "Trans 101," leading the women to understand that UPenn’s position was that if a woman on the team had any problem with a trans-identifying male being on her team, that woman had a psychological problem and needed counseling.
Department of Education Investigation
The Department of Education launched an official investigation into potential Title IX violations that occurred at UPenn in February, and the consequences of that investigation are now materializing.
The situation at UPenn has become a focal point in the broader debate over transgender athlete inclusion in sports, raising complex questions about fairness, safety, and the rights of all athletes. The Trump administration’s decision to pause funding to UPenn underscores the growing political and legal scrutiny surrounding this issue.
