Trump Administration Sues California Over Law Allowing Transgender Students on Sports Teams

The Trump administration has filed a lawsuit against the State of California, targeting its law that permits transgender students to play on sports teams aligning with their gender identity.

The federal suit, announced Wednesday, challenges California's Sex Equity in Education Act, which prohibits public schools from denying transgender students participation on teams that reflect their gender identity. The lawsuit argues the law violates Title IX, the federal statute banning sex-based discrimination in schools receiving federal funding.

“Despite Title IX’s equal opportunity mandate, defendants have adopted policies that force girls to compete against boys — despite real physiological differences — if the boy asserts that he is a girl,” the lawsuit states. It also claims the policy compromises “girls’ privacy, dignity, and safety.”

The case names both the California State Board of Education and the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), which governs school sports. It follows a string of similar legal actions by the Trump administration, including a lawsuit in Maine and threats against Minnesota.

This California suit had been expected since May, when President Trump publicly criticized the state’s policy during a track and field controversy. The Department of Justice soon followed with a letter warning of an investigation and potential funding cuts.

U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli criticized Governor Gavin Newsom in a Fox News interview, stating: “When given the opportunity to stand up for women… he refused to comply.”

California officials have not yet responded to the lawsuit.

Credit: CNN Newsource

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