The United States has suspended $175 million in funding to the University of Pennsylvania over its transgender sports policies.
The White House made this disclosure on Wednesday, saying the move was the US latest effort to force schools to fall in line with its policies.
The Ivy League university, which made national headlines in 2022 when a transgender student athlete competed on its women’s swim team, said it had not received any official notification of the pause but became aware of it through media reports.
This comes after an executive order signed last month by President Donald Trump banning transgender athletes from participating in female-only school sports.
According to critics, the directive infringed on the rights of a tiny minority of athletes, while supporters of the order say it will restore fairness in women’s sports.
Speaking to the media, a university spokesperson said it was important to note, however, that Pennsylvania has always followed the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA, and Ivy League policies regarding student participation on athletic teams.
“We have been in the past, and remain today, in full compliance with the regulations that apply to not only Pennsylvania, but all of our NCAA and Ivy League peer institutions,” a university spokesperson said.
Recall that Trump has threatened to cut federal funding to universities over a range of issues including transgender rights, diversity, equity and inclusion programs and pro-Palestinian campus protests over Israel’s war in Gaza.
