It finally happened.
The University of Pennsylvania—the same Ivy League institution that once handed female athletic titles to a biological male—just admitted, in no uncertain terms, that it violated Title IX. Yes, that Title IX. The one that’s supposed to protect women in education and sports. Turns out, letting men compete against women… isn’t exactly fair. Who knew?
Under a newly announced resolution with the Department of Education, UPenn has agreed to take several major actions. We’re not talking vague promises or “diversity training” sessions. We’re talking about a full-on course correction. Records will be restored. Public apologies will be made. And perhaps most significantly—moving forward, males won’t be competing in female sports at the university. Period.
The news was confirmed Tuesday in a statement to Fox News Digital. According to the department, the school will now use biology-based definitions for the words “male” and “female.” That might sound like common sense to most Americans, but for a university that once hosted a swimmer born male—Lia Thomas—on its women’s team, it’s nothing short of a reversal.
Let’s be clear: this didn’t happen by accident.
It was the Trump administration’s policy that sparked the investigation. It was President Trump’s executive order—“Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports”—that forced the issue. It was Title IX enforcement under Secretary Linda McMahon that froze $175 million in federal funding until the school responded. And it was the courage of former UPenn swimmers like Paula Scanlan and Riley Gaines who refused to stay silent.
Scanlan called the agreement a “momentous step.” Gaines said it was the issue that helped shift the 2024 election. Whether you agree or not, here’s what can’t be ignored: this wasn’t a quiet backroom settlement. This was a national moment. A cultural line in the sand.
Just Happening: Congratulations to @Riley_Gaines_ and all girls involved in NCAA sports 🇺🇸💕 The NCAA has banned 🍆 from girls sports, and has stripped Lia Thomas (the guy who was wrongfully given the swimming title over Riley) of the title. Penn State has issued an apology. Very… pic.twitter.com/zglNuytOLI
— Butch Daniels (@KantGetRight206) July 2, 2025
The terms of the resolution are straightforward, but they’re also a serious wake-up call for other universities. UPenn must now publicly state it will no longer allow biological males to participate in women’s sports or use female intimate facilities. It has to revise or delete every internal document that contradicts Title IX. It must post these changes clearly across its athletics websites. And it must send a personal apology to each female swimmer affected by the 2021–2022 season.
In other words, the school is being made to undo the damage. Publicly.
The left’s response was priceless:
“And furthermore, UPenn’s status as an Ivy League should be forever revoked.”
– Cato the Elder— brasidas (@brasidas.bsky.social) July 2, 2025 at 7:06 AM
Speaking as someone who worked in UPenn for a summer program, I say this as confidently as I can.
Y’all are spineless fucking cowards and I will NEVER do any sort of work with you again.
— Jazzy Oliver – Voice Actress (@ladyjazzington.bsky.social) July 2, 2025 at 2:17 AM
The issue with UPenn caving to Trump’s regime is that it could afford to fight back just like Harvard. If one of the wealthiest universities won’t defend academic and civil rights, what chance do smaller institutions have? Protect academic freedom.
— Naotoshi Maeda (@naotoshimaeda.bsky.social) July 2, 2025 at 12:00 AM
Pathetic from UPenn. This is the road to Orbanism.
And Orbanism ended in the complete destruction of Central European University — CEU left Hungary entirely.
That’s the path US universities are on: destruction. We need them to stand up, not give in to the autocrat in the White House. 🧪
— Alt NIH Bluesky 🧪 (@altnih4science.bsky.social) July 1, 2025 at 11:18 PM
I heard UPenn is now offering degrees in cowardice, kowtowing, and boot licking.
— Gabino Iglesias (@gabino.bsky.social) July 1, 2025 at 9:48 PM
And one more…just for fun:
Penn’s abandonment of principle and autonomy in its concession to Trump on the question of transgender athletes represents the sacrifice of a marginalized group in exchange for federal money.
It’s shameful, humiliating, and craven. This is NOT what leadership looks like.
An angry alum.
— Carlos Noreña (@carlosfnorena.bsky.social) July 1, 2025 at 9:42 PM
It’s important to note what former athletes say happened behind the scenes- though the left doesn’t seem to care about their mental health.
According to a lawsuit filed in February by three more swimmers, university officials allegedly told women who objected to competing against Lia Thomas that they had a “psychological problem” and referred them to the campus LGBTQ center. Read that again.
Women who raised questions about fairness were pathologized. Their concerns weren’t debated—they were dismissed. That detail alone has reignited conversations across college campuses about whether Title IX is being honored or redefined into something entirely different.
Now, the resolution has turned heads well beyond Pennsylvania. Because this isn’t just about swimming records. It’s about whether young women across the country can still count on Title IX to protect their opportunities—or whether the meaning of “woman” has been rewritten behind closed doors.
HOLY SH*T this is great!
New: 🚨 Every female athlete who was forced to compete against a male at Penn State will be issued a personal apology, per Education Secretary Linda McMahon!
pic.twitter.com/9pghNhR6yK— Jay 🇺🇸 (@RapidResponseXY) July 1, 2025
But one question still lingers in the background.
If UPenn was quietly violating Title IX this whole time… how many other schools are doing the exact same thing, right now?
