Overview

• The U.S. Department of Education found that the California Department of Education and the California Interscholastic Federation violated Title IX by allowing transgender girls to compete on girls’ teams.
• The proposed resolution would require California to adopt biology-based definitions of male and female, bar transgender athletes from girls’ sports, and restore titles and records to cisgender athletes who were displaced.
• Officials have warned that failure to comply within 10 days could lead to referral to the Justice Department and potential withholding of federal education funding.
• California leaders, citing state laws that protect transgender students’ rights, have vowed not to change their inclusive sports policies.
• LGBTQ+ advocacy groups warn that rolling back trans-inclusive rules could endanger the mental health and safety of transgender youth and trigger legal battles over federal versus state authority.