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3mo ago

California Sues Justice Department Over Order Banning Transgender Athletes From Girls’ Sports

California contends that the DOJ order to ban transgender athletes from girls’ sports exceeds federal authority, threatening the loss of billions in school funding.

Lisa Edwards, of Fresno, protests the presence of a transgender athlete in the state track and field championships May 30.
AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley High School, second left, claps during the triple jump award ceremony at the state meet on May 31.
The presence of AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley High School in the California Interscholastic Federation state meet drew the ire of President Donald Trump.
Jurupa Valley’s Ab Hernandez, second from right front, with fellow 1st place finishers Long Beach Poly’s Jillene Wetteland, behind and Monta Vista’s Lelani Laruelle, top right while on the podium with fellow champions in the high jump during the CIF State Track and Field Championships on Friday at Buchanan High in Clovis on Saturday, May 31, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Overview

  • The lawsuit filed by Attorney General Rob Bonta on June 9 seeks to block Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon’s mandate that school districts ban transgender girls from competition or face legal repercussions.
  • Dhillon’s June 3 letter demanded local education agencies certify by June 9 that they would break with state gender identity rules or risk “legal liability.”
  • California argues the directive violates state law and the Equal Protection Clause by forcing schools to discriminate against transgender students contrary to the California Interscholastic Federation’s gender identity rules.
  • Education Secretary Linda McMahon warned that noncompliance could lead to the withdrawal of more than $8 billion in annual federal funding for California schools.
  • The legal fight intensified after transgender athlete AB Hernandez won multiple medals in the girls’ state track and field championships, drawing scrutiny to trans inclusion policies.