Paula Scanlan calls out lack of apology from those who forced her to undress alongside Lia Thomas
Paula Scanlan, a former swimmer at the University of Pennsylvania, is continuing to speak out after being forced to undress in the same room as a male teammate during her time a student athlete.
A former Division I female college swimmer who was forced to share a locker room with a male teammate is continuing to speak out after having to “undress with him” during her time as a student athlete.
Paula Scanlan is a former swimmer at the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) in Philadelphia and previously a teammate of Lia Thomas, a man who formerly went by the name William. Scanlan posted to X in response to a New York Post article about the World Aquatics upholding its restrictions on transgender-identifying athletes.
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“[O]kay,” Scanlan wrote on X on June 13, “but is anyone going to apologize for forcing us to undress with him 18 times a week?” Thomas, who identifies as a ‘transgender woman,’ won the NCAA Division I national championship in women’s swimming in 2022.
okay, but is anyone going to apologize for forcing us to undress with him 18 times a week? 🤔 https://t.co/KKLq1Akelv
— Paula Scanlan (@PaulaYScanlan) June 14, 2024
One user noted that while an apology was unlikely, Scanlan’s work to “protect” women was more than worthwhile. “My daughter and her friends are 14 year old year round swimmers,” she said. “You will never get your apology but you have protected them more than you know and I hope that gives you some peace.”
Scanlan, who says she was sexually assaulted when she was 16 in a women’s bathroom, testified about the presence of men competing in women’s sports before Congress last July, specifically regarding her experiences with Thomas.
“My teammates and I were forced to undress in the presence of Lia, a 6-foot-4 tall, biological male, with fully intact male genitalia, 18 times per week,” Scalan said before the House Judiciary Committee at the time. “Some girls opted to change in bathroom stalls and others used the family bathroom to avoid this.”
The former UPenn athlete is now an ambassador at the Independent Women’s Forum, which says it is “the leading national women’s organization dedicated to developing and advancing policies that are more than just well-intended, but actually enhance people’s freedom, opportunities, and well-being.”
World Aquatics, which the International Olympic Committee recognizes, had previously ruled that men identifying as women could only compete with women if they had not undergone puberty after the age of 12 and possessed testosterone levels below a certain measurement.
In June, it was reported that Thomas challenged the rule earlier this year, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport ultimately dismissed his challenge.
Campus Reform has contacted Paula Scanlan and the University of Pennsylvania for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
