Trump DOJ Files Landmark Lawsuit Against California Over Transgender Athlete Rules
The legal battle over transgender participation in school sports has reached a new level. On Wednesday, President Donald Trump’s Justice Department filed a federal lawsuit against the California Department of Education and the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), challenging the state’s policy that allows transgender girls to compete on girls’ sports teams.
The lawsuit marks a bold escalation of the administration’s push to restrict transgender athlete participation in youth sports, citing Title IX as the legal foundation for the case.
“California’s policy undermines the very intent of Title IX by forcing biological girls to compete against biological boys,” the DOJ lawsuit argues.
The Trump administration has made this issue a key part of its education and civil rights agenda, asserting that girls are being unfairly displaced in competitions, scholarship opportunities, and awards due to what it describes as “illegal gender policies.”
Title IX at the Center
Title IX, a federal civil rights law passed in 1972, prohibits sex-based discrimination in federally funded education programs. The Justice Department claims that California’s policies violate that law by creating unequal conditions for biological female athletes.
“The results of these illegal policies are stark,” the lawsuit states. “Girls are displaced from podiums, denied awards, and miss out on critical visibility for college scholarships and recognition.”
Nationwide Legal Momentum
Attorney General Pam Bondi made clear this case isn’t isolated: “If you do not comply, you’re next,” she warned in a video statement. The administration has also filed similar actions in Maine, and opened Title IX investigations in Oregon.
The broader campaign includes an executive order signed by Trump in February 2025, which bars transgender athletes from competing on teams that don’t align with their biological sex in federally funded institutions.
California Pushes Back
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office dismissed the lawsuit as “a cynical attempt to distract from the administration’s ongoing efforts to cut education funding and silence marginalized communities.”
California has allowed students to participate on teams matching their gender identity since 2013, well before recent federal challenges. Still, Newsom himself stirred controversy earlier this year when he expressed concerns about fairness in female sports during a podcast interview—comments that Republicans have since leveraged.
Polarized Reactions
Conservative advocacy groups like the California Family Council applauded the Trump administration’s move, calling it “a necessary step to ensure girls are not forced to give up scholarships or championships to male-bodied competitors.”
LGBTQ+ advocates, including Equality California, condemned the lawsuit. “This is an attack on transgender youth masked as a defense of fairness,” the group said in a statement.
The case is expected to set a national precedent. As lawsuits unfold in multiple states, the question remains: how will the courts interpret fairness, inclusion, and the intent of Title IX in a new legal era?
For now, the battle lines are drawn — and California is ground zero.
