Two days later, the athletic department scheduled a meeting with the women’s team — this time without Thomas. “Don’t talk to the media,” the team was told. “You will regret it.”
The American Spectator | USA News and Politics "Earlier this week, Paula Scanlan, a former University of Pennsylvania swimmer and teammate of transgender swimmer Will “Lia” Thomas, shared her story for the first time. Scanlan had previously participated in the Daily Wire’s What is a Woman documentary, appearing in shadows with a computer-edited voice for anonymity.
“ 'There were a lot of things we couldn’t talk about that were very concerning, like our locker room situation. If you even brought up concerns about it, you were transphobic,” she said. Concerned about the almost-inevitable backlash, she asked to remain anonymous. “[Penn] made it pretty clear that if you speak up about it and you say anything negative that your life will be over,” she said in the documentary.
"But since last year, Scanlan has changed her tune, and she’s set to make a splash by setting the record straight: UPenn manipulated female swimmers, and Scanlan won’t stand for it.
Thomas Joins the Team
"It all started in the fall of 2019, at the beginning of Scanlan’s sophomore year. She and her fellow teammates were called into a special meeting and were informed that Will Thomas, who had previously swum on the men’s team, would be transitioning to the women’s team the following season. The meeting was led by none other than Thomas himself.
"It was a brief announcement, Scanlan said, and there was no opportunity for discussion, with or without Thomas present. " . . .
