Formerly anonymous teammate of Lia Thomas is now speaking out and sharing new disturbing details about the abuse that the women on the team experienced.
Thomas, who claims to be a woman but is actually a man, was given the opportunity to join the University of Pennsylvania’s women’s swim team. He rode this role all over America, harming women in his path. Thomas’ school leadership supported him the whole way through, forcing his male genitalia in the women’s room and nominating him as NCAA “Woman Of The Year.”
The propaganda campaign was vicious and organized. Paula Scanlan tells her story after revealing that she was part of the Thomas team. She previously appeared anonymously in The Daily Wire’s What Is a Woman document.
A teammate of Lia Thomas appeared in What Is A Woman anonymously. A few days ago she came to us and said she is ready to come out publicly and tell her story. I had a longer conversation with Paula where she revealed a number of details that weren’t covered in the film. Watch: pic.twitter.com/wlknGmslJC
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) June 5, 2023
Scanlan revealed in her interview with Walsh the treatment she and other teammates received at the hands of the university leadership. Thomas’ presence made the women feel uncomfortable, and many were forced to change their clothes in adjacent stalls. Women were not allowed to ask questions or raise objections to their treatment. Thomas, who is a male biologically, was reported to flaunt his genitalia without regard for his teammates’ feelings.
Scanlan claims that, while the details of the incident were known beforehand, she and other students were threatened by the athletic department at the school if they spoke out.
SCANLAN: When she returned from the meeting, she thought that we were part of a groundbreaking team. The Athletic Department was trying to keep us in the dark. This is becoming scary. We were then invited to a formal meeting two days later, but Lia was not there. They told us that you would regret speaking with the media. Lia’s presence in the water with us was not negotiable, and they offered us counseling to help us ‘be okay’. It’s shocking.
Thomas’ teammates chose to ignore the threats and put on a happy face for some time. Scanlan’s frustration was heightened when Riley Gaines emerged as a competitor to Thomas.
The treatment of the women who were on the team was grotesque. These women’s trust in university leaders was betrayed to confirm the delusions a man had for selfish political purposes (and probably because some thought it would be an easy way to succeed). Not only did they betray these women on the surface, but also at a deeper level. These women were forced to protect and coddle their abuser, while they were threatened if they spoke out.
This demands accountability. I don’t know if there is a viable legal remedy, but I would certainly explore it as an alternative. UPenn must also be fully exposed in front of the public for its actions. Abusing women should not be taken lightly.
