Earlier this week, Gavin Newsom’s Department of Education outright rejected a resolution agreement from the Trump administration that would have forced the state to comply with federal law and bar biological males from competing in women’s sports, a defiant move that now puts billions in federal Title IX funding at risk. In response, the Trump administration has taken swift and decisive action against California’s blatant refusal to uphold basic fairness in women’s athletics.
The Department of Education has filed a lawsuit against the state, targeting its policy that allows biological males to compete in girls’ and women’s athletic events — a policy that has already robbed young female athletes of victories, scholarships, and recognition they rightfully earned.
Back in May, the administration launched a Title IX investigation into the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), the body responsible for high school sports in the state. By late June, the findings were clear: California’s policies violated the federal civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in any educational institution receiving federal funds. The Department of Education offered the state a chance to correct course, giving both the California Department of Education (CDE) and CIF ten days to accept a resolution. Instead, California doubled down and refused to budge from its radical stance.
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The administration’s response was swift and unambiguous. The lawsuit seeks an injunction to halt California’s reckless policy, which has led to situations where girls are forced off podiums, denied awards, and stripped of opportunities for college scholarships — all so that males can claim victories in competitions meant for women. The issue reached a boiling point earlier this year when a male athlete dominated multiple girls’ track and field events, sparking outrage among parents, coaches, and athletes who have watched the integrity of women’s sports erode in real time.
Newsom, ever the political chameleon, briefly acknowledged the unfairness of the situation earlier this year, calling it “deeply unfair” to allow men to compete in women’s sports. Yet, when push came to shove, his administration did nothing to reverse course.
As Education Secretary Linda McMahon put it, “Although Governor Gavin Newsom admitted months ago it was ‘deeply unfair’ to allow men to compete in women’s sports, both the California Department of Education (CDE) and the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) continued as recently as a few weeks ago to allow men to steal female athletes’ well-deserved accolades and to subject them to the indignity of unfair and unsafe competitions.”
This isn’t the first time the Trump administration has had to step in where progressive states have failed to protect women and girls. Just a few months ago, the administration sued Maine for similar Title IX violations, a case that remains in the discovery phase. When left unchecked, radical ideologues will trample the rights of women and girls, sacrificing fairness and safety on the altar of political correctness.
The stakes could not be higher. Title IX was enacted to ensure that women have equal opportunities in education and athletics. California’s policy turns that principle on its head, prioritizing ideology over reality and leaving female athletes to pay the price. The Trump administration’s willingness to fight this battle is a breath of fresh air for those who still believe in common sense, fairness, and the rule of law.
The message from Washington is unmistakable: if states refuse to protect women’s rights, the federal government will not hesitate to enforce the law. California may have tried to “thumb its nose” at the administration, but now it faces the full weight of a federal lawsuit — and a reckoning for its assault on women’s sports.
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