Penn University Adjusts Sports Policies Amid Title IX Dispute

Penn University has made some big changes to its sports policies. The school has agreed to stop letting transgender women compete in women's sports. This comes after a dispute with the federal government about Title IX, a law that's supposed to make sure women have equal chances in sports. The university has promised to fix some things. They will take back swimming records that were won by a transgender woman named Lia Thomas. They will also say sorry to any female swimmers who felt they were treated unfairly. Plus, they will keep men's and women's locker rooms and bathrooms separate. This all started when Thomas, who used to swim on the men's team, started competing on the women's team after transitioning. She won some big races, which made some people upset. They said it wasn't fair to the other women. Others supported Thomas and said she should be able to swim with the women. The university says they were following the rules at the time, but they admit that some athletes might have felt disadvantaged. They will now review the records and make changes based on new rules that came out in 2025. Not everyone is happy with this decision. Some local leaders say the university is giving in to politics and hurting transgender people. They think the changes are not about fairness but about making certain political groups happy. The university's president said this agreement ends a long investigation that could have caused big problems for the school. The head of the Education Department said this is a win for women's sports and that they will keep fighting to make sure Title IX is followed.