WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥 The Trump administration has suspended approximately $175 million in federal funding for the University of Pennsylvania over the participation of a transgender athlete in its swimming program, the White House said Wednesday.
The Ivy League school has been facing an focusing on in its swimming program. That inquiry was announced last month immediately after President Donald Trump signed an intended to ban transgender athletes from competing in girls and women鈥檚 sports.
But the federal money was suspended in a separate review of discretionary federal money going to universities, the White House said. The money that was paused came from the Defense Department and the Department of Health and Human Services.
A Penn spokesperson said the school had not received any notification or details of the action.
鈥淚t is important to note, however, that Penn has always followed NCAA and Ivy League policies regarding student participation on athletic teams,鈥 spokesperson Ron Ozio said. 鈥淲e have been in the past, and remain today, in full compliance with the regulations that apply to not only Penn, but all of our NCAA and Ivy League peer institutions.鈥
The investigation opened by the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights at Penn focuses on , who swam on the school鈥檚 women鈥檚 team and was the first openly transgender athlete to win a Division I title in 2022.
The agency also opened reviews of volleyball and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association.
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