SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Trump administration has ordered California to revise its policies that allow transgender girls to compete in sports teams that align with their gender identity. The U.S. Department of Education claims that the state’s education department and its governing body for high school sports are in violation of Title IX, a federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in educational settings. Federal authorities have given California ten days to comply or face possible legal action.
California officials are standing firm against the directive. Liz Sanders, a spokesperson for the California Department of Education, emphasized that the state supports all students’ rights to participate in school activities. “We have consistently applied existing law in support of students’ rights,” she said.
In a statement, U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon highlighted remarks made by California Governor Gavin Newsom, questioning the fairness of allowing transgender girls to compete in girls’ sports. McMahon warned that federal funding could be jeopardized if the state’s policies remain unchanged. The department has requested an apology and has urged the state to reinstate titles awarded to cisgender female athletes who may have lost out to transgender athletes.
This issue gained prominence following the recent case of AB Hernandez, a transgender athlete who garnered attention at the California high school state track and field championship. Hernandez claimed first place in two events and second in another, with the event organizers changing their medal-awarding policies to accommodate her participation.
This battle over transgender rights is part of a larger national discourse, as various states enact measures restricting transgender girls from participating in girls’ sports and imposing additional limitations on transgender youth. Currently, around two dozen states have enacted laws that affect transgender athletes, with some facing legal pushback.
Trevor Norcross, the father of a transgender student-athlete in California, criticized the focus on sports as a means to undermine the rights of transgender individuals. “This is about erasing transgender individuals altogether,” he stated, after his daughter faced backlash for competing on the girls’ track team.
The Trump administration has previously attempted to enforce its stance on this issue, including an executive order that aimed to restrict participation based on gender identity. However, a state law passed in 2013, under then-Governor Jerry Brown, explicitly supports the rights of students to engage in sex-segregated programs in accordance with their gender identity.
A spokesperson for Newsom dismissed the Education Department’s warnings as sensational and politically motivated. The governor’s office contended that the federal government’s communications do not hold legal weight against established state protections for students.
Responses to the federal findings have revealed a sharp divide among advocacy groups. The California Family Council, which opposes transgender girls competing in girls’ sports, welcomed the federal government’s position. In contrast, Equality California criticized the findings as an attack on transgender youth, asserting that the issue goes beyond fairness in sports — it represents an organized effort by the federal government to undermine the rights of marginalized communities.
As this conflict unfolds, the implications for transgender athletes in California and beyond remain uncertain, with ongoing legal battles likely to shape the future landscape of youth sports.