The Trump administration has announced it will reduce funding to the University of Pennsylvania by $175 million due to policies that allow transgender women to participate in women’s sports.
According to an email from White House officials to CBS Philadelphia, the funding cut is linked to Lia Thomas, a transgender woman and former swimmer at Penn, who received significant media attention and faced criticism for competing with the women’s swimming team.
“UPenn notoriously allowed a male to compete on its women’s swimming team, breaking numerous records that were hard-earned by women, and granting the fully intact male access to the locker room. This decision was NOT in response to the Title IX investigation initiated by the Department of Education,” a senior official from the White House stated in the email.
Thomas won first place in the 500-meter freestyle at the 2022 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships and achieved other top finishes at the Ivy League Championships that year.
Some female swimmers contested these victories. A lawsuit filed in a federal court in Massachusetts is pursuing the removal of her records from official standings. Additionally, the Education Department has begun a Title IX investigation regarding Penn’s decision to permit Thomas to compete on the women’s swimming team.
At that time, NCAA guidelines permitted trans women to compete on teams corresponding with their gender identity. However, Trump revoked those protections through an executive order signed in February.
A senior official from the White House indicated in an email that the funding reduction serves as an “immediate proactive measure to evaluate discretionary funding allocations to these universities.” The halted funding originated from the Department of Defense and the Department of Health and Human Services.
A spokesperson for Penn stated that the university is aware of media reports regarding the funding cut but has not received any formal communication from the White House.
“We have noted media reports suggesting a suspension of $175 million in federal funding to Penn, but have yet to receive any official notification or details,” the spokesperson said in an email. “It is crucial to emphasize that Penn has consistently adhered to NCAA and Ivy League policies regarding student participation on athletic teams. We have historically complied, and continue to comply, with the regulations applicable to Penn and all NCAA and Ivy League institutions.”
This morning, the White House’s @RapidResponse47 account shared a clip from Fox Business on X regarding the news.
The official clarified that Wednesday’s action is distinct from the Education Department investigation into Penn for alleged Title IX violations, a law enacted in 1972 that prohibits sex discrimination in education.
City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, representing the district that encompasses Penn’s campus, condemned the funding cut in a statement.
“These funds are unrelated to transgender student athletes — this is merely a flimsy justification to target our community,” Gauthier’s statement read, in part. “What Trump is essentially doing is jeopardizing tens of thousands of jobs, our hospitals, vital research initiatives, educational programs for underprivileged youth, and much more.”
Gauthier noted that previous actions taken by the Trump administration have often been overturned in court and expressed pride that numerous transgender Philadelphians reside in her district.
“They enrich our community and enhance our quality of life. I will always support them,” Gauthier asserted.
Trump is an alumnus of The Wharton School at Penn, graduating in 1968, as reported by the Daily Pennsylvanian student newspaper.
