The Trump administration has suspended $175 million in federal funding to the University of Pennsylvania over its transgender sports policies, the White House announced on Wednesday, intensifying efforts to enforce its stance on school athletics.
The Ivy League institution, which gained national attention in 2022 when a transgender swimmer competed on its women’s team, stated that it had not received official notification of the funding suspension but learned about it through media reports.
The decision follows an executive order signed last month by President Donald Trump, barring transgender athletes from participating in female-only school sports. While critics argue the directive discriminates against a marginalized group, supporters claim it upholds fairness in women’s athletics.
A university spokesperson emphasized that Penn has always adhered to NCAA and Ivy League policies on athlete participation. “We have been and remain in full compliance with regulations governing our institution and our peer universities,” the spokesperson said.
In 2022, swimmer Lia Thomas became the first openly transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division 1 championship while competing on Penn’s women’s team. Following Trump’s order, the NCAA revised its eligibility rules, restricting female-only competitions to athletes assigned female at birth.
Trump has also threatened to withdraw federal funding from universities over policies related to transgender rights, diversity initiatives, and pro-Palestinian campus protests against Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
