**Former UPenn Swimmer Sues University Over Transgender Inclusion Policy**
Grace Estabrook, a former swimmer at the University of Pennsylvania, was among the young women who shared a pool and locker room with transgender swimmer Lia Thomas during the 2021-22 season. From 2019, when she learned that Thomas would be joining the team, until her senior year in 2022, Estabrook claims she faced ongoing pressure from university officials not to oppose Thomas’ participation. She recounted to Fox News Digital that administrators warned her that speaking out could jeopardize her job prospects and graduate school applications, suggesting that any discomfort she felt was due to a “psychological problem.”
Throughout her time on the team, Estabrook felt “uncomfortable” and “powerless,” especially as she observed the media portraying Thomas as a civil rights figure and nominating her for the NCAA Woman of the Year award. Now, in 2025, Estabrook is one of three former UPenn swimmers who have initiated a lawsuit against the university, the Ivy League, and the NCAA regarding their handling of the situation, as public opinion shifts on the matter.
Recent surveys indicate that a significant majority of Americans oppose the participation of transgender athletes in women’s sports. The NCAA has recently revised its policy to restrict transgender athletes from competing in women’s categories following an executive order signed by former President Donald Trump. Despite this, many Democrats continue to advocate for the inclusion of transgender individuals in women’s sports, and several states have not adhered to Trump’s directive.
For Estabrook, who experienced the discomfort of changing clothes in the same room as Thomas and felt threatened against voicing her concerns, the ongoing political support for such policies is “depressing.” She expressed her frustration, stating, “I just don’t know why anyone would want to perpetuate abuse to women on large scales like this. That’s why we are pursuing this legal action; we want a clear court decision that will help institutions establish policies to prevent this from happening again.”
Estabrook’s experience at UPenn has been marked by numerous challenging moments. She described how her locker was just a few feet away from Thomas’s, forcing her to seek privacy by backing into a corner to change quickly, while some teammates opted to use bathroom stalls for changing.
