The University of Pennsylvania says it will update records set by transgender swimmer Lia Thomas and apologize to female athletes "disadvantaged" by Thomas' participation on the women's swimming team, part of a resolution of a federal civil rights case .
The U.S. Education Department and Penn announced the voluntary agreement Tuesday. The case focused on Thomas, the transgender swimmer who last competed for the Ivy League school in Philadelphia in 2022, when she became the first openly transgender athlete to win a Division I title.
The department investigated Penn as part of the Trump administration's broader attempt to remove transgender athletes from girls' and women's sports, finding the college violated the rights of female athletes.
Under the agreement, Penn agreed to restore all individual Division I swimming records and titles to female athletes who lost out to Thomas and send a personalized apology letter to each of those swimmers, the Education Department said.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Penn website showed other athletes holding the school's top times in Thomas' freestyle events. The site was annotated with a note that read, "Competing under eligibility rules in effect at the time, Lia Thomas set program records in the 100, 200 and 500 freestyle during the 2021-22 season."