A former NCAA swimmer has told Congress what it was really like being on the same team as Lia Thomas – and claims university officials brushed off serious concerns from female athletes.
Paula Scanlan, who swam for the University of Pennsylvania, testified this week in front of the House Judiciary Committee, saying she and her teammates were left feeling “frustrated, humiliated, and gaslighted” when they raised issues about sharing a locker room with Thomas, who is 6ft 4 and still had male genitalia at the time.
According to Scanlan, when the women went to Penn’s athletics department for help, they weren’t taken seriously. Instead, she says officials suggested counseling sessions to “reeducate” them so they’d be more comfortable undressing around Thomas.
‘Invalidated And Ignored’
Scanlan told lawmakers that the move showed the school was prioritising Thomas’ identity over the feelings of female athletes. She said her and her teammates’ concerns were invalidated, leaving them feeling like they had no voice.
At the time, Penn’s athletics program was led by Alanna W. Shanahan, who is still the school’s athletics director today. Under Shanahan, Penn has had major sporting success, but she’s faced huge backlash over how she handled the Lia Thomas situation.
Parents of Penn swimmers even wrote letters demanding answers, questioning the fairness of allowing Thomas to compete in women’s races. The NCAA didn’t respond, while Shanahan told the team she supported all student-athletes and pointed anyone upset to “available resources.”
From Pool To Politics
Thomas, who competed on Penn’s men’s team before transitioning in 2019, made headlines in 2022 when she became the first openly transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I title.
For Scanlan, the controversy didn’t end there. She’s since become an outspoken critic of how the situation was handled, writing articles about the biological differences between men and women and warning that women’s sport is being undermined. One of her opinion pieces was reportedly taken down after publication – something she says proves how much voices like hers are being silenced.
Testifying In Congress
Scanlan’s testimony came during a Republican-led hearing called “The Dangers and Due Process Violations of Gender-Affirming Care.”
She appeared alongside Chloe Cole, a 19-year-old detransitioner who is suing doctors that prescribed her hormones and performed a double mastectomy when she was a teenager.
Both women used their testimony to argue that institutions are failing young people – whether female athletes or minors undergoing gender treatment – and called for urgent change.
Debate Still Raging
The NCAA has already shifted its rules, tightening eligibility and now limiting women’s competitions to those assigned female at birth. But the fallout from Thomas’ wins at Penn continues to dominate headlines.
For Scanlan and her teammates, the fight was always about fairness and safety. For others, it’s about inclusion and equal rights.
Either way, the debate is far from over – and it’s quickly become one of the most heated battles in American sport.
