Three former University of Pennsylvania women swimmers have alleged that they suffered emotional distress due to having transgender athlete Lia Thomas as a teammate as they demand that the Ivy League erase Thomas’ records, according to a bombshell lawsuit.
UPenn alumni Grace Estabrook, Margot Kaczorowski, and Ellen Holmquist filed the lawsuit on Tuesday, just one day before President Donald Trump issued an executive order banning biological men from competing in women’s sports. The lawsuit, obtained by Fox News, alleges that their former university, Harvard University, the NCAA, and the Ivy League Council of Presidents harassment, misconduct, and violations of federal law by allowing Thomas to compete on the women’s team.
Suing the University
“The UPenn administrators told the women that if anyone was struggling with accepting Thomas’ participation on the UPenn Women’s team, they should seek counseling and support from CAPS and the LBGTQ center,” the lawsuit alleges.
Kaczorowski and Holmquist, who graduated in 2024, along with Estabrook, a 2022 graduate, alleged that they suffered “repeated emotional trauma” due to Thomas being allowed to compete alongside them, which they claim violated Title IX.
They argue that university officials actively promoted a pro-trans agenda throughout Thomas’ time on the team.
According to the lawsuit, administrators invited the swimmers to attend a session called “Trans 101,” where they were made to feel that if they objected to having a “trans-identifying male” on their team, they had psychological issues and should seek counseling.
The swimmers further accused school officials of discouraging them from speaking out against Thomas, warning that doing so could result in being labeled transphobic and jeopardizing their future job prospects.
The lawsuit also alleges that the four defendants fostered an environment of intimidation, pressuring female athletes to disregard biological realities.
Thomas was not named as a defendant in the case.
The suit argues that including Thomas on the women’s team compromised the swimmers’ opportunities, privacy, and safety. Thomas, who competed on UPenn’s Men’s Swimming and Diving team from 2017 to 2020, was introduced as a future member of the women’s team in 2019.
No More Tolerance
Thomas came in first in the 500-, 200-, and 100-yard freestyle events, setting both Ivy League and pool records. At the 2022 Ivy League Championship meet, held at Harvard University, Thomas shattered multiple women’s records.
According to The National News Desk, the lawsuit requests that the court rule Thomas ineligible for women’s competitions and annul the records.
The former UPenn swimmers also accused university officials, the NCAA, and the Ivy League of working together to ensure Thomas was allowed to compete on the women’s team during the 2021-2022 season.
At first, the female swimmers were allegedly told they would not have to share a locker room with their new teammate. However, the school later reversed its policy, allowing Thomas to change alongside them.
“When UPenn’s women’s swimmers returned to school in the fall of 2021 they were shocked to discover that Thomas was being allowed to use the women’s locker room at UPenn and would be allowed to use the women’s locker room at swim meets,” the lawsuit alleges.
“Margot [Kaczorowski] only learned that Thomas had been authorized by UPenn to use the women’s locker room when she walked in the women’s locker room to find Thomas in front of her changing his clothing,” the suit added.
Trump’s executive order, signed on February 5, puts pressure on schools to adhere to the directive by threatening to revoke federal funding.
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