Trump administration demands Penn restore accolades to female swimmers after allowing trans swimmer to compete
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer
The University of Pennsylvania violated federal civil rights law by allowing transgender swimmer Lia Thomas to compete on its womens team during the 2021-22 season and use the female facilities, the U.S. Department of Education said Monday.
The department has ordered Penn to restore to all female athletes all individual athletic records, titles, honors, awards or similar recognition for Division I swimming competitions misappropriated by male athletes or risk the loss of federal funding.
President Donald Trumps administration has already paused $175 million in funding to Penn because of Thomas participation. The university had said it previously had not received any demands to get funding restored.
But it looks like that may have changed. In addition to restoring the records, the education department in its communication Monday listed two other requirements: the school must issue a statement to the Penn community that it will comply with Title IX and send a letter of apology to each swimmer whose record is restored for allowing her educational experience in athletics to be marred by sex discrimination.
Read more: https://www.inquirer.com/education/lia-thomas-upenn-violate-law-transgender-20250428.html
This appears theatric to me, because at the time Thomas was on the team, the feds included gender identity under Title IX. The Constitution says: "No...ex post facto Law shall be passed." (That's in context of Congress, but would this not fall under the executive branch too?)

Pisces
(5,942 posts)Initech
(104,624 posts)And got Alex Jones and Tucker Carlson to repeat it.
SouthBayDem
(32,610 posts)over one of his kids being trans and cutting off contact with him.
fujiyamasan
(77 posts)Including immigration. Tariffs likely destroyed his strength on the economy for perhaps his entire term.
The trans issue is easy to whip up.
Initech
(104,624 posts)
AZJonnie
(778 posts)I mean I'm sure there's someone who raised a stink about it (I don't know the details) but the best outcome would be had by letting that person stand alone and get her 'accolades' while everyone else involved says "No Thanks, Asshole!" in a very public way.
marble falls
(65,029 posts)... as a straight, cis male I find your view highly offensive and insensitive.
AZJonnie
(778 posts)Last edited Tue Apr 29, 2025, 03:39 AM - Edit history (3)
Edit: It dawned on me that maybe I totally failed to express what I was meaning to say. The headline reads: " (Trump) demands Penn restore accolades to female swimmers after allowing trans swimmer to compete". What I'm saying is, it would be cool IMHO, if the cis-female swimmers who's 'accolades' would be 'restored' were to collectively and publicly say "No, we don't want our 'accolades restored', we don't want any trans athlete to be stripped of her placements/trophies/medals, we think she (or they) is/are female, and our competition with them was fair! What Trump is asking for, and his threats against the university, are bullshit, and we do not want any of this done in our name!!!".
And if there's a Riley Gaines in the bunch, then let her stand alone.
By this, I didn't mean that's ALL that should happen in the way of change! Sorry if I was lame in my expression of that idea previously, and if it's STILL offensive as an idea now that I've hopefully elucidated it better, then please help me understand because I must be missing something
TheRickles
(2,712 posts)At least 3 filed suit against Penn: https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/lia-thomas-transgender-athleters-penn-lawsuit-grace-estabrook-margot-kaczorowski/
AZJonnie
(778 posts)Well, maybe now even these young women will change their tune due to these heavy-handed tactics by Trump against their alma mater, basically threatening the education of all their fellow students. If it were me (though I'd never file suit in the first place!) this piece would change the equation in my mind, hope it does for them as well.
SunSeeker
(55,624 posts)And this won't bring the price of groceries down.