• California rejected a federal resolution requiring biological sex-based participation in girls’ sports, escalating a legal standoff with the Trump administration. The decision defies Title IX enforcement led by Education Secretary Linda McMahon, risking federal funding over California’s transgender-inclusive athletic policies in K–12 schools and public institutions.

SACRAMENTO, CA (TDR) — California officials on Monday defied the Trump administration’s directive to ban biologically male athletes from competing in girls’ sports, setting the stage for a high-profile legal and financial showdown over federal civil rights enforcement.

In a brief letter, California Department of Education General Counsel Len Garfinkel rejected a proposed resolution agreement from the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR), which found the state in violation of Title IX protections for female athletes.

“The CDE respectfully disagrees with OCR’s analysis, and it will not sign the Proposed Resolution Agreement,” Garfinkel wrote.

State Rejects Federal Title IX Enforcement

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The OCR agreement, offered June 25, demanded that California rescind its policies allowing male-born athletes who identify as female to participate in girls’ sports. It further required the state to revise records to “restore to female athletes all individual records, titles, and awards misappropriated by male athletes” and issue formal apologies.

The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), which governs K–12 athletics in the state, backed the decision. “The CIF concurs with the response of the California Department of Education,” the organization said in a statement.

The refusal comes in direct conflict with President Trump’s February 5 executive order, “Keeping Males Out of Women’s Sports,” which mandates that federally funded educational institutions enforce sex-based athletic eligibility or risk losing funding.

Trump Officials Signal Legal Consequences

Education Secretary Linda McMahon wasted no time in warning of repercussions. “California has just REJECTED our resolution agreement to follow federal law and keep men out of women’s sports,” McMahon wrote on X. “Turns out Gov. Newsom’s acknowledgment that ‘it’s an issue of fairness’ was empty political grandstanding.”

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She added that California’s noncompliance could trigger legal action from the Justice Department. “Attorney General Pam Bondi is reviewing all enforcement options,” a senior Education Department official confirmed Monday.

Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-CA) sharply criticized the state’s stance. “Unbelievable. California is refusing to change its policy of forcing girls to compete against biological males,” Kiley said. “This reckless and illegal decision puts our state’s federal funding at risk.”

A Test Case in Transgender Athletic Policy

The standoff follows the high-profile case of A.B. Hernandez, a biological male who won two girls’ state titles last month at the CIF track-and-field championships. In an unusual move, CIF awarded medals and qualifying slots to the girls displaced by Hernandez, but refused to alter official results.

California’s policy is based on Assembly Bill 1266, enacted in 2013, which requires schools to allow student participation in sports based on gender identity, not biological sex.

Meanwhile, the University of Pennsylvania last week agreed to the Trump administration’s resolution, reversing titles and records won by Lia Thomas, a biological male who competed in NCAA women’s swimming during the 2021–22 season. The NCAA also announced it would adopt sex-based eligibility rules following Trump’s executive order.

Will California risk billions in federal education funds to uphold its transgender sports policy, or will legal pressure force a reversal?

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