Sports ambassadors Payton McNabb and Linnea Saltz join U.S. Department of Education Secretary McMahon for historic announcement—fairness restored, apologies made, records returned.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Independent Women sports ambassadors Payton McNabb and Linnea Saltz joined U.S. Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon for the announcement that University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) has entered into a Resolution Agreement to address its violations of Title IX—federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in education—stemming from UPenn’s decision to allow a man to compete on the women’s swim team during the 2021-2022 season. This includes, adopting “female” and “male” sex definitions, restoring stolen records back to the women who earned them, and apologizing for discriminating against female athletes across the country.
This action follows years of pressure from Independent Women, concerned athletes and parents, and the Trump administration’s endorsement of Title IX. In March, the administration suspended over $175 million in federal funding to UPenn over its discriminatory policies that sidelined women.
Payton McNabb, a sports ambassador for Independent Women and former high school volleyball player who now suffers permanent injury as the result of a spike by a male competing on an opposing women’s volleyball team, said: “Today marks a turning point for female athletes and proves that no matter how powerful the institutions protecting the radical agenda to allow men in women’s sports and spaces may seem, truth and fairness still win. UPenn’s actions violated Title IX and betrayed far too many female collegiate athletes—both at UPenn and at colleges and universities across our country. We are finally seeing accountability. No university is above the law.”
Learn more about Payton’s story here.
Linnea Saltz, a sports ambassador for Independent Women former NCAA track and field athlete who competed against the first transgender-identifying male athlete to compete in Dl cross country, said: “UPenn was operating under the precedent of ‘It’s better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission’—but clearly they didn’t realize how serious the Trump administration would take keeping men out of women’s sports. I am so grateful to President Trump, his administration, Secretary McMahon, and all the brave advocates for making today possible. It is one small step towards winning this battle for women and girls, but I am so happy to be a part of this progress today and every day.”
Learn more about Linnea’s story here.
Payton McNabb and Linnea Saltz joined Secretary of Education Linda McMahon in Washington, D.C. for today’s historic announcement.
After President Trump’s historic signing of the Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports Executive Order in February, his administration had launched investigations into university Title IX violations, including at UPenn.
As part of today’s announcement, UPenn will revise its athletic policy to ensure that no female athlete will be forced to share intimate spaces or compete against biological males. The university will formally apologize to all female athletes who were required to compete against and will remove all records set by biological male athletes competing in women’s sports competitions.
BACKGROUND: TITLE IX ANNIVERSARY + NATIONAL WOMEN’S SPORTS WEEK
Independent Women commemorated the 53rd anniversary of Title IX on June 23rd with “Her Game. Her Legacy.” , a celebration in Santa Fe, New Mexico alongside New Mexico residents, key policymakers, and athletes – including Secretary Linda McMahon. “Her Game. Her Legacy.” also kicked off a statewide bus tour that travelled 1,550 miles and visited all 33 counties in New Mexico to celebrate the 53rd anniversary of Title IX and National Women’s Sports Week.
As national momentum around the fight to preserve the integrity of women’s sports continues to build, last week, during National Women’s Sports Week, the Trump administration took further action to enforce Title IX’s original intent. This includes action by both the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, against California and Minnesota, respectively. The Trump administration’s message is clear: states must adhere to Title IX and keep women’s sports female—or face consequences.
In honor of the anniversary of Title IX, Secretary Linda McMahon and Independent Women Ambassador Payton McNabb penned an op-ed for Fox News: Common sense says women’s sports are for women only.
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