Lia Thomas stripped of titles: Why transgender swimmer lost records after UPenn-U.S. Department of Education agreement
Thomas, who is the first openly transgender athlete to win a Division 1 title, last competed for Penn in 2021-22, setting program records in the 100, 200, and 500 freestyle races and winning a national title in the 500 freestyle. However, moving forward, those accomplishments will be updated and marked with an asterisk in the official record books.
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Here's a breakdown of the situation.
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UPenn-U.S. Education Department agreement, explained
Under President Donald Trump, the U.S. Department of Education opened an investigation into Lia Thomas, claiming the swimmer competed at a heightened advantage over other swimmers. The situation, which is part of the Trump administration's investigation into transgender athletes in women's sports, came to a close on Tuesday when the Department of Education and Penn came to an agreement.
As part of the deal, Penn will restore records that Thomas broke to their original holders and send personal apologies to those swimmers and any swimmers who lost to Thomas. Additionally, the Department of Education said Penn now must "not allow males to compete in female athletic programs" while using "biology-based" definitions of male and female athletes moving forward.
"While Penn's policies during the 2021-2022 swim season were in accordance with NCAA eligibility rules at the time, we acknowledge that some student-athletes were disadvantaged by these rules," J. Larry Jameson, Penn president, said in a statement, via ESPN. "We recognize this and will apologize to those who experienced a competitive disadvantage or experienced anxiety because of the policies in effect at the time."
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Jameson did clarify that Penn has always followed NCAA and Title IX rules and never created its own rules regarding transgender athletes. However, the Department of Education found that Penn violated Title IX.
"Our commitment to ensuring a respectful and welcoming environment for all of our students is unwavering," Jameson added. "At the same time, we must comply with federal requirements, including executive orders, and NCAA eligibility rules, so our teams and student-athletes may engage in competitive intercollegiate sports."
While Penn has cooperated, the NCAA and the National Federation of State High School Associations have not directly responded to the Department of Education's request from early this year to change their record books.
Was Lia Thomas stripped of titles?
Yes. After reaching an agreement with the Department of Education, Penn stripped Thomas of all collegiate titles and records, which include a national championship in the 500 freestyle and program records in the 100, 200, and 500 freestyle races.
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