The White House has reached a groundbreaking agreement with the University of Pennsylvania requiring the school to revoke titles earned by trans-identifying male swimmer Lia Thomas while competing on the women’s team, according to information obtained by The Daily Wire. The deal mandates that all athletic titles and records “misappropriated” by biologically male athletes be returned to female athletes.
Under the terms of the agreement, the University of Pennsylvania will reinstate original placements and awards to female competitors and adopt a policy framework that aligns with federal Title IX protections, as interpreted by the Trump administration. A senior White House official confirmed that the university will now use “biology-based definitions” for male and female categories in all athletic competitions and access to facilities.
“President Trump has been one of the strongest and most consistent champions for protecting women’s sports,” the official stated. “Under his leadership, the administration has taken decisive action — through executive orders, public messaging, and policy initiatives — to affirm a simple truth: men do not belong in women’s sports.”
The agreement effectively nullifies Lia Thomas’s achievements in women’s swimming and marks a major policy shift for the Ivy League institution, which had previously defended its inclusion practices. Thomas made national headlines in 2022 after tying with University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines in an NCAA event and receiving the trophy in a controversial decision.
The university will also issue formal letters of apology to affected female athletes. Gaines, now a vocal advocate for women’s sports fairness, is expected to receive one of those letters. She appeared at a White House event Thursday alongside other athletes who had competed against trans-identifying males.
In compliance with the agreement, Penn has pledged to prohibit biologically male athletes from competing in women’s divisions and using female-designated locker rooms or other intimate facilities.
The deal comes amid a broader federal enforcement effort. Last week, the Department of Education found that California is officially in violation of Title IX for permitting biological males to participate in women’s sports. The state has been given 10 days to come into compliance or risk losing federal education funding.
The NCAA, under pressure from the Trump administration and athletic organizations, also revised its own transgender athlete policy earlier this year to limit women’s sports to athletes assigned female at birth.
With this latest agreement, the administration has further cemented its policy stance that the integrity of women’s sports—and the rights of female athletes—must be protected through clear and enforceable biological definitions.
