The University of Pennsylvania has bowed to Donald Trump's Department of Education (DOE) by agreeing to resolve alleged Title IX violations over transgender former Quakers swimmer Lia Thomas.

The DOE announced Tuesday that Penn is adopting strict definitions for male and female competitors under White House guidelines, adding that the school will ban trans athletes from women's competitions and erase Thomas from the school's record books.

Furthermore, swimmers impacted by Thomas' inclusion in women's NCAA competitions will receive a personal apology from Penn and be retroactively awarded records and titles. 

The Ivy League institution's decision comes after the Trump administration suspended $175 million in federal funding to Penn – money that had been earmarked and funded through the Defense Department and the Department of Health and Human Services.

'Penn remains committed to fostering a community that is welcoming, inclusive, and open to all students, faculty, and staff,' University of Pennsylvania president J. Larry Jameson said in a statement. 'I share this commitment, just as I remain dedicated to preserving and advancing the University's vital and enduring mission. We have now brought to a close an investigation that, if unresolved, could have had significant and lasting implications for the University of Pennsylvania.'

Daily Mail has reached out to Thomas' spokesperson for comment.  

Thomas won a national title as a woman in the 500 free while tying for fifth in the 200 free at the 2022 NCAA Finals with Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines, who has since become the face of the movement to ban trans athletes from female sports. The NCAA previously allowed each sports to govern transgender inclusion, generally deferring to national governing bodies or International Olympic criteria. The fate of Thomas' NCAA is now in question.

It was under that pervious NCAA structure that Thomas was allowed to compete despite originally swimming as a man before receiving hormone replace therapy. She returned as a woman in 2021 after meeting the NCAA's hormone requirements at the time.

Since then, the NCAA has changed its policy to conform with Trump's February 5 executive order aiming to ban transgender athletes from girls and women's sports. 

Gaines was among the first to issue a statement on the ruling Tuesday. 

'From day one, President Trump and [Education] Secretary [Linda] McMahon made it clear that protecting women and girls is a top priority—and today's agreement with UPenn is proof of that commitment in action.'

'This Administration isn't just talking about women's equality, but instead actively defending it. I hope this sends a clear message to educational institutions: you can no longer disregard women's civil rights. And to every female athlete, know this: your dignity, safety, and fairness matter, and our nation's leaders will not stop fighting for them.'