The funding pause follows a Title IX investigation into UPenn’s inclusion of transgender athletes and potential violation of Trump’s executive order.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The Trump administration has paused $175 million in federal funding to the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) pending a Title IX investigation into the university’s inclusion of transgender athletes, according to Fox News. The funding suspension stems from potential violations of the “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” executive order, signed by President Donald Trump on February 5, 2025.
The Department of Education is currently investigating UPenn along with San Jose State University and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association for suspected Title IX noncompliance. The outcome of the investigation could impact UPenn’s broader federal funding package, which totaled approximately $1 billion in 2024.
UPenn became a focal point in the national debate over transgender athletes in 2022, when male swimmer Will Thomas identified as female and joined the university’s women’s swim team under the name Lia Thomas. After joining the women’s division, Thomas dominated competitions and broke multiple women’s NCAA records. Notably, Thomas won the national championship in the 500-yard freestyle and tied Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines for fifth place in the 200-yard freestyle, but only Thomas was awarded the trophy for that event.
Gaines, now a prominent advocate against the inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s sports, responded to the funding pause on X, commemorating the third anniversary of her race against Thomas. “Three years ago to the day I raced and tied a man at the DI NCAA Championships in the 200 freestyle,” Gaines wrote. “Today, the Trump administration paused $175M in federal funding to University Pennsylvania for this reason. Serendipitous.” View Post
The controversy surrounding the 2022 NCAA women’s swimming events propelled the issue of transgender participation in women’s sports into the forefront of the 2024 presidential campaign. With President Trump’s executive order now in effect, schools and organizations receiving federal funding are required to comply or face potential financial consequences.
Officials in both state and federal government have voiced support for broader enforcement of the executive order. Calls to suspend or eliminate funding for school boards, educational institutions, and local governments that fail to comply with the policy have gained traction, indicating further action could follow as investigations continue.
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