The Trump administration on Wednesday ordered California to revise its policies allowing transgender girls to compete on girls sports teams, saying the state is violating federal law.
The U.S. Department of Education determined that both California’s education department and the state’s high school sports authority violate Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in education. The department gave California 10 days to change its policies or face potential enforcement action, including referral to the U.S. Department of Justice.
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Despite the warning, California said it would not back down.
“The California Department of Education believes all students should have the opportunity to learn and play at school, and we have consistently applied existing law in support of students’ rights to do so,” said spokesperson Liz Sanders.
U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon cited Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s podcast comments from March, where he questioned the fairness of allowing trans girls in girls sports.
“The Trump Administration will relentlessly enforce Title IX protections for women and girls, and our findings today make clear that California has failed to adhere to its obligations under federal law,” McMahon said.
She also told Fox News the department may pull federal funding if California refuses to comply. Additionally, the department demanded the state apologize to cisgender athletes who lost titles to transgender competitors and notify school sports programs that Title IX bars transgender girls from girls teams.
Recent controversy fuels debate
The announcement follows national attention on AB Hernandez, a transgender athlete who placed first in the girls high jump and triple jump, and second in the long jump at California’s high school state track championships. The California Interscholastic Federation gave medals to both Hernandez and the athletes who would have placed had she not competed—marking a first-of-its-kind decision by the organization.
This development is part of a wider national debate over transgender rights. Across the U.S., several states have passed laws limiting transgender participation in sports, restricting gender-affirming care for minors, and mandating parental notification if students change pronouns in schools. Many of these laws face legal challenges.
“This really isn’t about sports and locker rooms. This is about erasing transgender individuals altogether,” said Trevor Norcross, a San Luis Obispo father of a trans high school track athlete.
Norcross said his daughter, who has been on the girls track team since freshman year, faced criticism mostly from outside the school. He called the federal announcement another form of “bullying by the administration.”
Trump signed an executive order in February banning trans girls and women from joining sports teams aligned with their gender identity.
However, a California law signed in 2013 by then-Gov. Jerry Brown allows students to participate in school programs, including sports and bathroom access, based on their gender identity.
Gov. Newsom’s spokesperson Izzy Gardon called McMahon’s threats “dramatic, fake, and completely divorced from reality,” and criticized the Education Department’s letter as “a political document designed to intimidate school officials and unlawfully override well-established state laws.”
The California Interscholastic Federation declined to comment on the federal findings, citing legal constraints.
Groups sharply divided
Conservative organizations welcomed the federal stance.
“This decision is a critical step toward restoring fairness and protecting the integrity of girls’ sports in our state,” said Sophia Lorey of the California Family Council.
On the other hand, LGBTQ+ advocacy group Equality California condemned the findings.
“Let’s be clear: this isn’t about fairness in sports and never has been — it’s about a federal administration weaponizing civil rights laws to target transgender students,” said Executive Director Tony Hoang.
