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The University of Pennsylvania has been found in violation of Title IX, according to the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR). This determination was made public on Monday, as the university has allowed transgender athletes to compete in women’s intercollegiate sports and access women-only facilities, thereby denying equal opportunities for female athletes.
The OCR has given the university a window of 10 days to ensure compliance with Title IX to avoid potential legal action, including a criminal referral to the Justice Department.
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Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor emphasized the importance of the OCR’s findings in a press release. He stated, “Little girls who look up to Riley Gaines and Paula Scanlan can find hope in today’s action—the current administration will not allow male athletes to invade female private spaces or compete in female categories.”
Trainor further urged the University of Pennsylvania to take immediate action to support its female student-athletes and comply with federal law, warning against prioritizing any political agenda that could jeopardize the institution’s federal funding.
The OCR expects the university to make a formal commitment to adhere to Title IX by issuing a public statement. Additionally, the OCR has outlined specific actions the university must undertake: to restore individual athletic records, titles, and awards to all female athletes who may have been adversely affected, and to issue apologies to these athletes for the discrimination they experienced.
The controversy primarily centers around Lia Thomas’ participation in the women’s swimming team during the 2021-22 season. Thomas, a transgender woman, was notably the first transgender athlete to secure a national championship in women’s swimming, setting multiple records in the process.
Paula Scanlan, a former teammate of Thomas, provided poignant testimony before Congress in 2023, sharing her feelings regarding the impact of Thomas’ participation on her experience as a female athlete. At that time, Thomas competed under the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s gender-participation policy.
In a related political development, former President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order aimed at restricting transgender women from competing in women’s sports. Although the NCAA has attempted to adapt its policies in light of this executive order, many advocates for women’s sports argue that the measures implemented are insufficient to ensure fair competition.
As the situation evolves, it remains to be seen how the University of Pennsylvania will respond to the OCR’s demands and what further implications this will have for collegiate athletics moving forward.
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