California faces Justice Dept suit over transgender athlete policies

Federal Department Lawsuits California Over Transgender Girls Sports

On Wednesday, the U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit against California, arguing that the state is permitting transgender athletes to compete on girls’ high‑school sports teams, resulting in “unfair competition” and “reckless endangerment” for female student athletes.

Title IX Violation Allegations

The suit claims that California’s Department of Education and the California Interscholastic Federation are engaging in illegal sex discrimination by allowing male participants to compete against female students. The department cites Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in federally funded educational programs.

Political Tensions Between Federal and State Authorities

• The lawsuit is part of a broader clash between the Trump administration and California, a Democratic‑ruled state.
• Last month, President Trump deployed thousands of National Guard troops to Los Angeles to quell protests against federal migrant detainments. Governor Gavin Newsom contended that the troops were unnecessary for the mostly peaceful demonstrations, but efforts to remove them have so far failed.
• In February, Trump threatened to impose “large scale” fines on California after a transgender high‑school athlete won the state track and field championships.

Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Statements

“The Governor has admitted it is ‘deeply unfair’ to force women and girls to compete with men and boys in competitive sports,” Attorney General Bondi said. “But not only is it ‘deeply unfair,’ it is also illegal under federal law.”

Related Federal Actions

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court agreed to hear cases challenging state laws in Idaho and West Virginia that ban transgender athletes from female competitions. The Justice Department previously sued Maine in April over permitting transgender athletes to compete in girls’ sports and is moving to cut the northeastern state’s federal funding for public schools.

State Legislation Landscape

More than two dozen U.S. states have enacted laws in recent years that bar athletes assigned male at birth from participating in girls’ or women’s sports.