Three former female swimmers from the University of Pennsylvania have filed a federal lawsuit challenging the participation of transgender swimmer Lia Thomas in women’s collegiate events. The suit seeks to remove Thomas’ records from official results and coincides with the Trump administration’s recent rollback of protections for transgender athletes.
Filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts, the nearly 90-page lawsuit lists Grace Estabrook, Ellen Holmquist, and Margot Kaczorowski as plaintiffs. It argues their Title IX rights were violated by the University of Pennsylvania, the Ivy League, NCAA, and Harvard University when Thomas, a transgender woman, was allowed to compete in women’s events and use the women’s locker room.
Thomas rose to national attention during the 2022 NCAA season, winning the 500-yard freestyle at the national championships and earning additional titles at the Ivy League meet hosted at Harvard. Before transitioning in 2019, Thomas competed on the men’s team and followed NCAA and Ivy League rules governing transgender athlete participation. While she received support from her university and some teammates, others expressed opposition, including through an anonymous letter to the NCAA.
Kaczorowski appeared on Fox Business Thursday, telling host Stuart Varney that teammates were surprised when told they would share the same locker room with Thomas. “We weren’t given any advance notice and told we had to either use a separate family locker room or accept the situation,” she said.
According to the lawsuit, Holmquist narrowly missed qualifying for the Ivy League Championships—losing out by one spot, which would have been hers had Thomas not competed. Thomas placed first in the 500, 200, and 100-yard freestyle races.
The legal action is backed by the conservative group Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS), and the swimmers are represented by sports attorney Bill Bock. ICONS and the lawsuit consistently refer to Thomas using male pronouns and descriptions, despite her legal and medical transition.
The case has drawn further attention following President Trump’s signing of an executive order on Wednesday banning transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports. The NCAA has since updated its eligibility rules, now allowing only athletes assigned female at birth to compete in women’s categories. Transgender athletes may still compete in men’s sports.
When asked about these developments, Kaczorowski said, “We still want to hold the institutions accountable and have Lia’s name removed from the records.”
The NCAA issued a statement saying it does not comment on pending litigation but emphasized its commitment to promoting Title IX, investing in women’s sports, and ensuring fair competition.
Thomas has not publicly responded to the lawsuit. Her representatives did not return requests for comment as of Saturday. Similarly, the University of Pennsylvania declined to comment.
In the past, Thomas has been the subject of misinformation, including false claims that her records or trophies were revoked and transferred to another swimmer, Riley Gaines. Unlike the Olympics, NCAA awards trophies rather than medals.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Education has opened investigations into the University of Pennsylvania, San Jose State University, and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA), examining whether their policies allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports violate Title IX.
The MIAA probe stems from a girls’ basketball game in which a team forfeited after three players were reportedly injured while playing against a team with a transgender athlete. The department is scrutinizing a league policy stating students may compete on teams consistent with their gender identity.
Education officials noted that investigations don’t imply guilt but reflect the administration’s new focus on enforcing its interpretation of civil rights law. Critics, including advocates for transgender students, have condemned the new executive order and investigations, calling them discriminatory.
Legal experts say the Trump administration is taking an unusually proactive and public approach to civil rights enforcement under Title IX. “Each day reveals new and bolder enforcement actions,” said attorney Bonnie Young.
Title IX has become a political flashpoint in recent years. Under President Biden, federal protections were expanded to include LGBTQ+ students—a move partially struck down by a judge this year. The Trump administration is now leveraging Title IX to challenge policies seen as accommodating transgender students.
In a directive issued alongside the executive order, Trump instructed agencies to cut funding from institutions that “deny women and girls fair athletic opportunities.” The Education Department can withdraw funding only with judicial approval and after attempts at resolution have failed.
