Trans swimmer Lia Thomas stripped of titles after university caves to Trump administration

Transgender swimming champion Lia Thomas will be stripped of all her swimming titles by the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn). On Tuesday, it was announced that UPenn will strip Thomas and apologise to all biological female competitors who lost to Thomas. UPenn’s decision to cave to the Trump administration follows an investigation by the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR). OCR’s investigation found UPenn violated Title IX by “allowing a male to compete in female athletic programs and occupy female-only intimate facilities”. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon announced UPenn’s decision to strip Thomas of her titles and apologise to the competitors in a statement. “Today’s resolution agreement with UPenn is yet another example of the Trump effect in action,” McMahon said. “Thanks to the leadership of President Trump, UPenn has agreed both to apologise for its past Title IX violations and to ensure that women’s sports are protected at the University for future generations of female athletes.”