A former teammate of the University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas leveled criticism against the transgender athlete in an interview with Fox News this week. Paula Scanlan broke her silence with an announcement of support of fellow swimmer Riley Gaines earlier this month.
During a Fox Business interview, Scanlon said that the college “didn’t really have any conversations with us, at all, about our concerns with the situation happening.”
She also said that as Thomas won a number of events, the university advised the swimmers not to “talk to the media.”
“This is non-negotiable,” Scanlon said.
She further said that the school organized a panel to tell the female swimmers about the decision and those who disagreed were recommended to seek counseling.
“My only regret is not speaking out sooner,” she said on Twitter.
I join @Riley_Gaines_ in the fight for women’s sports. pic.twitter.com/DkkCUxgCF2
— Paula Scanlan (@PaulaYScanlan) June 8, 2023
Scanlon also spoke to Matt Walsh of the Daily Wire.
“Is there something wrong with me for thinking this is wrong?” she asked.
“It worked,” she said. “The university wanted us to be quiet and did it in a very effective way.”
She described the pressure from the college as “scary.”
Scanlon appeared in Walsh’s documentary “What is a Woman?” as an anonymous interview.
However, she decided to publicly announce her support for Gaines after thoughtful consideration. Scanlon said that she heard the announcement that swimmer Will Thomas, later Lia Thomas, would be switching from the male to female swimming team.
Scanlon also complimented fellow former swimmer Riley Gaines, saying that she had “made great strides.”
“The more voices, the more powerful we’ll be,” she said.
Scanlon said that she was fighting for “women and girls across the country.”
Gaines received national attention for her criticism of Thomas.
According to teammates of the biologically-male swimmer, Thomas exposed male genitalia in the locker room.
Gaines’ statements received significant pushback from a number of left-wing political and student sources. An appearance at a San Francisco college resulted in a group of students barricading her in a classroom. Gaines needed to be escorted by the police.
The former swimmer also spoke at a number of conservative events. Gaines recently received attention when she endorsed the candidacy of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).
