The University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) has reached a resolution with the Trump administration concerning the participation of transgender athlete Lia Thomas on the women’s swim team during the 2021-22 season. As part of this resolution, UPenn must adhere to regulations keeping biological males out of women’s sports and has agreed to apologize to female swimmers impacted by Thomas’s presence. Despite this resolution, a lawsuit filed by three former UPenn swimmers—Grace Estabrook, Margot Kaczorowski, and Ellen Holmquist—against the university, the NCAA, and the Ivy League remains ongoing. The lawsuit claims that the university officials pressured the plaintiffs into accepting Thomas’s participation and framed their concerns as indicative of a “psychological problem,” while alleging that the university’s actions violated federal law.
The lawsuit has garnered attention from the activist group Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS), which has expressed its disappointment with UPenn’s actions. ICONS recently stated that UPenn lawyers will soon argue in federal court that there was no violation of Title IX by allowing Thomas to compete. The group has called for accountability, emphasizing the need for clarity on whether UPenn will admit any wrongdoing in front of the federal court, especially after cooperating with the Trump administration. ICONS fervently defends the rights of female athletes and intends to hold organizations liable for violations that infringe on women’s sports and opportunities.
The former swimmers reported being emotionally and psychologically distressed by their experiences as teammates of Thomas. They indicate that the university administration consistently promoted pro-trans ideologies, leading them to internalize their objections as personal problems rather than legitimate concerns about fairness and safety in their sport. Administrators reportedly suggested that any swimmer struggling with the situation should seek counseling, framing the issue in a context that stigmatized the plaintiffs’ feelings. The women allege that they were discouraged from voicing their concerns publicly, with threats that doing so could lead to reputational harm or jeopardize their future career opportunities.
The situation escalated when the plaintiffs discovered that Thomas would indeed share a locker room with them—contradicting earlier assurances from the team’s coach, Mike Schnur, who had indicated that this would not occur. Margot Kaczorowski recounted a particularly distressing moment when she ran into Thomas in the locker room, leading her to confront Schnur, who claimed his hands were tied and he would face consequences for objecting to Thomas’s participation and locker room access. This revelation compounded their emotional distress, as the swimmers felt trapped in an environment that dismissed their concerns and forced conformity to a new norm.
Additionally, UPenn’s administration allegedly took steps to ensure Thomas’s eligibility for the women’s team was unquestioned and supported by both the NCAA and the Ivy League. The lawsuit asserts that students were led to believe that any dissent would not only be futile but would also lead to serious repercussions, such as removal from the team or the school—a chilling effect that silenced the plaintiffs. As the 2022 Ivy League championships approached, the swimmers felt increasingly isolated, believing their options for protest were limited and ultimately pointless.
In response to the situation, UPenn released a statement articulating that it had complied with NCAA eligibility rules and Title IX as interpreted during the relevant timeframe. The university maintains that it has always followed applicable regulations concerning transgender athletes and will continue to adapt to any changes in the guidelines, asserting that it has no independent policies regarding athlete participation. The statement reflects UPenn’s position of safeguarding its compliance and reaffirms its commitment to transparency and fairness across athletic competitions, stressing that it operates within the framework established by established governing bodies like the NCAA.
