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3w ago

DOJ Sues California Over Transgender Athlete Policies After State Rejects Title IX Resolution

The lawsuit escalates a test of federal authority to force California’s compliance with the Trump administration’s interpretation of Title IX

Gov. Gavin Newsom, R-Calif., speaks to a crowd gathered at an event space during a two-day swing through South Carolina on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, in Bennettsville, S.C. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)
Hernandez stands on the podium during a medal ceremony for the triple jump at the California high school track-and-field championships in Clovis, California, on May 31.
Jurupa Valley’s AB Hernandez, second from left, shares the first-place podium spot with Jillene Wetteland, left, of Poly Long Beach and Lelani Laruelle of Monta Vista in a three-way tie during a medal ceremony for the high jump at the California high school track-and-field championships in Clovis, California, on May 31, 2025. (CRAIG KOHLRUSS/The Fresno Bee/TNS)
AB Hernandez, second left, a transgender student at Jurupa Valley High School, leaves the stadium after competing in the triple jump at the California high school track-and-field championships in Clovis, California, on May 30.

Overview

  • On July 9, the Department of Justice filed suit against the California Department of Education, alleging its trans-inclusive sports policies violate Title IX by allowing transgender girls to compete on girls’ teams
  • On July 7, California’s Department of Education and the California Interscholastic Federation formally refused to sign an OCR resolution agreement that would have banned transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports
  • In late June, the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights found California in violation of Title IX and threatened funding cuts unless the state changed its policies within ten days
  • The federal probe was triggered in part by AB Hernandez, a transgender high school athlete who won medals in girls’ track events under California’s gender-identity participation rules
  • California officials contend the OCR demands conflict with the state’s 2013 anti-discrimination law, setting the stage for a constitutional battle over federal power to override state protections