The University of Pennsylvania has agreed to block transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports after a federal civil rights investigation stemming from swimmer Lia Thomas.
It was the biggest news of the week.
The US Department of Education announced the agreement, saying the Ivy League institution would apologise and restore to female athletes titles and records that were “misappropriated by male athletes”.
Thomas became the first trans athlete to win the highest US national college title in March 2022.
A day after the University of Pennsylvania struck a deal with the Trump administration over a transgender athlete who competed on its women’s swimming team, the reaction was mixed online.
Former University of Pennsylvania swimmer Paula Scanlan, who was a teammate of transgender Lia Thomas, had a viral reaction to it all.
She took to her X account and posted a message from the university speaking on the 2021-2022 swimming season.
“Guys. Look what just came into my inbox LMAO,” she wrote.
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Once the news came down, she added, “About dang time.”
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Back in April, Lia Thomas, who is biologically male, said, “I am going to keep fighting as much as I am able to.”
“In order to fight the battles we need to fight, we have to stick together and support each other.”
Thomas stated at the time that he does not believe Trump or his political counterparts should have the final say on trans athletes.
“It has to be the athletes deciding for themselves where they feel most affirmed and most comfortable,” she added. “Having routes that are safe and non-discriminatory, that allow them access to that.”
Riley Gaines Reacts To Lia Thomas’ Decision
After the University of Pennsylvania agreed to erase all program records set by former transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, questions arose about how the NCAA will address Thomas’ NCAA title.
Thomas won the 500-yard freestyle at the 2022 NCAA championships with a time of 4:33.24.
Former University of Kentucky swimmer and OutKick host Riley Gaines, who tied for fifth place against Thomas in that year’s 200-yard freestyle, wants the NCAA to rescind all of Thomas’ championship finishes.
Gaines sent a message to the NCAA about this issue during an interview on “Don’t @ Me With Dan Dakich.”
“While the Ivy League, the University of Pennsylvania, will have to rescind his records from their account and their record boards, the NCAA, as I understand it, does not have to. So, we will see what the NCAA does,” Gaines said.
“These ‘leaders,’ if you will, have remained spineless and weak-kneed and morally bankrupt and just total cowards over the last three years,” Gaines said.
