The University of Pennsylvania has reached an agreement with the Trump administration aimed at restricting male participation in women’s sports. This resolution also involves an apology to female swimmers affected by the involvement of trans athlete Leah Thomas during the 2021-22 season.
Despite this agreement, three former female swimmers have ongoing lawsuits against the university, claiming their experiences on the team alongside Thomas were harmful.
On February 5th, Grace Estabrook, Margot Kakorowski, and Ellen Holmkist filed lawsuits against UPenn, Harvard, the NCAA, and the Ivy League. They assert that university officials favored Thomas and violated federal law.
The Independent Council on Women’s Sports, an advocacy group, supports the lawsuit and issued a statement regarding UPenn’s resolution. They noted that university lawyers are scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Boston soon. There’s looming uncertainty about whether UPenn will admit in court to violating Title IX, similar to what was acknowledged to the Trump administration.
Although not part of the lawsuit, Paula Scanlan, another former swimmer, has voiced her discontent as one of the early teammates to speak out. She expressed regret over emails she received from the university. The group’s statement emphasizes that this resolution should caution other institutions.
They are thankful for the female athletes committed to reinstating fairness in women’s sports. Their announcement serves as a clear message about the serious implications of Title IX violations.
According to the lawsuit, Thomas, a biological male who previously competed as Will Thomas, joined the women’s swimming team in the fall of 2021. During a team meeting in 2019, Thomas was introduced to the female swimmers by the head coach, Mike Schnoor.
The plaintiffs allege they were forced to accept Thomas’s participation, which led to feelings of psychological distress. They claim university administrators suggested that if they struggled with Thomas being on the team, they should seek counseling. Reports say that an administrator even invited them to a session titled “Trans 101” to reinforce this stance.
Additionally, the plaintiffs state they were warned against voicing their concerns publicly, with threats of reputational damage and potential job losses in the future if they did. They felt pressured not to protest Thomas’s participation, especially before the Ivy League Championship in 2022.
The lawsuit indicates that the team members were informed by coaches and administrators that they had coordinated with the NCAA and the Ivy League to ensure Thomas’s eligibility for that season, creating an environment where opposition to Thomas’s presence was not acceptable.
First, there were claims that Thomas wouldn’t use the women’s locker room, but that story changed. When the fall of 2021 came, female swimmers were reportedly taken aback to find Thomas using their locker rooms, which some discovered in a rather shocking manner.
One swimmer, Kakorowski, described her emotional reaction after learning about this arrangement, claiming the coach recognized that it was wrong but felt powerless.
Further discussions held in December 2021 indicated the media attention around the issue, but they were told Thomas’s position on the team was not up for negotiation. In response to the recently reached resolution with the Trump administration, UPenn released a statement asserting compliance with NCAA rules and Title IX at the time of Thomas’s participation.
They made it clear that the university would continue to adhere to both current and evolving NCAA policies regarding transgender athletes, as applicable rules are set to change in February 2025.
In closing, the university emphasized its commitment to fair athletic competition and transparency in alignment with NCAA and Ivy League standards.
