Lia Thomas' Former Teammates Speak Out Against Upenn Amid Title Ix Violation

The U.S. Department of Education has recovered that nan University of Pennsylvania violated Title IX by allowing trans jock Lia Thomas to compete connected nan women's aquatics team, it announced Monday. 

A brace of former UPenn women's swimmers who went done nan acquisition of sharing a excavation and locker room pinch Thomas opened up connected what nan caller declaration by President Donald Trump's management intends to them. 

Conservative influencer Paula Scanlan, who was 1 of nan first of Thomas' teammates to speak up against nan school, told Fox News Digital that nan news "excited" her, but she is besides skeptical of its impact. 

"I was excited to perceive that nan Department of Education is cracking down connected nan University of Pennsylvania. Ultimately, though, I’m skeptical that my alma mater will return meaningful action. They person had years to reside this rumor and apologize to nan female athletes affected, yet they person chosen not to," Scanlan said. 

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University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, left, and Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines respond aft finishing tied for 5th successful nan 200 Freestyle finals astatine nan NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships connected March 18, 2022 astatine nan McAuley Aquatic Center successful Atlanta. (Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Fellow erstwhile UPenn women's swimmer Grace Estabrook told Fox News Digital that she hopes further and much terrible action is taken. 

"I americium grateful to this management for their activity connected these matters, and I dream to spot accountability soon for everyone who stood by while antheral athletes deprived america female athletes of our opportunities and violated our authorities successful our locker room.

"I americium grateful nan national authorities has recovered Penn to person violated Title IX, conscionable arsenic we told Penn successful nan 2021-2022 play erstwhile they required america to ablution with, and compete against, a man. The government’s uncovering of activity favoritism by Penn is an important first step, but nan protection of female athletes cannot extremity here. Women must beryllium protected by a bulletproof argumentation that wholly removes men from our sports and from entering our locker rooms," Estabrook said. 

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"Future generations of girls and women must beryllium safeguarded against nan hideous affectional and intersexual harassment that my teammates and I endured astatine Penn. The existent argumentation which Penn and nan NCAA are now trying to usage to screen their tracks and put this rumor down them is inept, and it continues to time off women vulnerable. I and my teammates who are suing Penn, Harvard, nan Ivy League, and nan NCAA, will not beryllium appeased by half measures that neglect to afloat protect women." 

The Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights said it will springiness nan assemblage 10 days to beryllium successful compliance pinch Title IX aliases consequence facing a criminal referral to nan Justice Department. The compliance would see issuing a connection connected its volition to travel Title IX on pinch 2 different cardinal actions.

"Restore to each female athletes each individual diversion records, titles, honors, awards aliases akin nickname for Division I swimming competitions misappropriated by antheral athletes competing successful female categories.

"Send a missive to each female jock whose individual nickname is restored expressing an apology connected behalf of nan University for allowing her acquisition acquisition successful athletics to beryllium marred by activity discrimination."

Fox News Digital reached retired to nan University of Pennsylvania for comment.

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The assemblage is presently being sued by Estabrook and 2 of her different erstwhile teammates, Margot Kaczorowski and Ellen Holmquist, complete nan Thomas situation. 

The suit besides names nan Ivy League and nan NCAA, citing their acquisition pinch Thomas and nan institutions' handling of nan situation. The suit besides seeks to person each of Thomas' accolades successful nan women's class rescinded. 

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