California Risks Federal Actions Over Transgender Athletes On Women's Sports

The US Department of Education has found California in violation of federal anti-discrimination laws for allowing male athletes to compete in women's sports. This finding follows investigations into the California Interscholastic Federation and the California Department of Education, which were launched earlier this year. The inquiries focused on whether California's School Success and Opportunity Act conflicts with Title IX, a law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in education programs that receive federal dollars. The California law allows students to participate in sports programs based on their preferred gender identity rather than biological sex, which has been in effect since 2014. The US Education Department has outlined a series of required actions that state authorities must implement within 10 days, including adopting biology-based definitions of male and female. The department has also required California to restore titles, awards, and records to female athletes who were displaced by male competitors and to send personalized letters of apology to each affected female athlete. Failure to comply could result in enforcement actions, including referral to the US Department of Justice for legal proceedings. The announcement comes after a transgender athlete took first place in girls' track and field events at the state meet, which has sparked controversy over the fairness of the competition. California Governor Gavin Newsom has described the current policy as deeply unfair, but has not yet proposed any changes to the law. The US Education Secretary has condemned the state's continued enforcement of the policy, stating that the Trump Administration will relentlessly enforce Title IX protections for women and girls.