CLOVIS, CALIFORNIA - MAY 30: Transgender athlete AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley competes in the girls high jump during the CIF State Track and Field Championships at Veterans Memorial Stadium on May 30, 2025 in Clovis, California. (Photo by Kirby Lee/Getty Images)
Sacramento, California – The U.S. Department of Education announced Wednesday that the California Department of Education and the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) violated the civil rights of female students by permitting transgender athletes to compete in accordance with their gender identity—a policy the federal agency now deems unlawful under Title IX.
Following an investigation by the Department’s Office for Civil Rights, federal officials concluded that California’s policy creates unequal conditions for cisgender girls. They warned that the state must amend its practices within 10 days or face “imminent enforcement action.”
In a sharply worded statement, Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the Trump administration “will relentlessly enforce Title IX protections for women and girls.” She accused California officials of allowing “men to steal female athletes’ well-deserved accolades” and subjecting young women to “unfair and unsafe competitions.”
McMahon also pointed to comments made months earlier by California Governor Gavin Newsom, who had described the situation as “deeply unfair,” suggesting that the state’s policies are inconsistent with its leadership’s rhetoric. State officials, including Newsom and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, have not yet publicly responded to the federal announcement.
California’s education code allows students to participate in school activities—including sports teams and facility use—based on their gender identity, regardless of their official gender designation. That policy has been in effect for years and remains in place despite mounting pressure from Washington.
The U.S. Department of Justice opened a parallel investigation in May into the CIF, the state, and the Jurupa Unified School District. More recently, DOJ officials warned that school districts could face legal consequences for failing to comply with federal directives aimed at limiting transgender participation in girls’ sports.
Former President Donald Trump, who made the issue central to his 2024 campaign, also weighed in via social media, threatening to cut federal funding and ordering local officials to block transgender athletes from competing in state finals. “California continues to ILLEGALLY allow MEN TO PLAY IN WOMEN’S SPORTS,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “This is a totally ridiculous situation!!!”
While the federal government has framed the issue as one of protecting fairness in women’s sports, some critics have noted a growing contradiction in the Republican Party’s approach. The GOP, long associated with small government and strong advocacy for states’ rights, now finds itself aggressively enforcing federal standards over the objections of state officials. California Superintendent Tony Thurmond underscored this tension earlier this month, calling the federal warnings “legally baseless” and affirming that state law still obligates school districts to support transgender students’ right to compete.
The 10-day deadline places California at a legal and political crossroads, as the battle over youth sports morphs into a broader fight over federal authority, identity, and the limits of state autonomy.
