Harvard University was sued by three former swimmers at the University of Pennsylvania who claim they were discriminated against when a transgender teammate competed against them in the Ivy League championship in 2022.
The federal lawsuit claims that Harvard, Penn, the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the Ivy League violated federal law protecting equal opportunity by allowing Lia Thomas, a “trans-identifying male swimmer,” to compete. Thomas won the 500- and 200-yard freestyle races, as well as the 200-yard freestyle and the 400-yard freestyle relay, setting league records.
The lawsuit asks a judge to declare that Harvard, Penn, the NCAA and the Ivy League violated Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which bar discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities. It also asked the judge to declare that Thomas was ineligible to compete on Penn’s women’s team and to vacate her Ivy League records.
Former swimmers Grace Estabrook, Ellen Holmquist and Margot Kaczorowski filed the complaint Tuesday in Boston federal court.
The case is Estabrook v. The Ivy League Council of Presidents, 25-cv-10281, US District Court, District of Massachusetts (Boston).
Source: Harvard sued over letting trans swimmer compete against women | Australasian Lawyer