University of Pennsylvania Responds to Federal Investigation

On July 1, the University of Pennsylvania issued an apology and decided to withdraw its support for transgender swimmer Lia Thomas. This came after a federal investigation uncovered violations of Title IX related to Thomas competing on women’s teams. In response, the university has begun restoring awards and titles to the right female competitors—admittedly, a few years after the initial controversy. They also implemented a ban on trans athletes competing in women’s sports.

Liz Wheeler, host of “The Liz Wheeler Show,” commented, “I don’t think Upenn really means it with this apology. It feels more like a move to keep their federal funding intact after pressure from former President Trump.” She invited former UPenn swimmer Pola Scanlan to share her insights on Thomas’s presence on the team.

Pola recounted her first encounter with Thomas, who was then part of the men’s swim team. She was in her sophomore year when Thomas introduced himself to the team, announcing, “I’m going to join you next season, and please refer to me using her pronouns.” Initially, she thought it was a prank. But soon, it became clear that it wasn’t the case. Anyone who didn’t use female pronouns for Thomas faced serious criticism.

Interestingly, many swimmers embraced Thomas warmly. “We saw our teammates cheering and saying how proud they were,” Pola noted. “They were thrilled to support Thomas’s journey.” But as the season started, Pola noticed complications. The team had to practice and share locker space with Thomas multiple times a week. “Being naked in the locker room, and changing in swimsuits around him was pretty challenging,” she said.

Some teammates voiced their discomfort about sharing the locker room but did so discreetly, fearing backlash. Publicly, many kept quiet, even hoping their coaches would change locker room arrangements during competitions to ease the situation.

Pola, however, felt it was important to express her reservations about Thomas competing with women. She took part in anonymous interviews to shed light on what female swimmers were experiencing as they navigated this situation. But when it became known that she was behind those interviews, she faced hostility from some teammates. One even texted her, “It’s interesting that you’re saying this now,” which left her feeling quite isolated.

After the university’s apology and the reinstatement of titles to rightful winners, Pola reflected on the silence from most teammates. “I think a lot of us agree, but nobody feels comfortable voicing it,” she said. “It’s like we’re all afraid to speak out against policies that we privately view as problematic.”

For more on Pola’s experiences and her perspective on defending women’s rights in sports, check out the full video discussed earlier.