Trump administration sues California over transgender athlete policy

[Jessica_Rose]

Trump administration sues California over transgender athlete policy

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-administration-sues-california-over-transgender-athlete-policy/ar-AA1IhNXD?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=3aea54121eb6496da17a13d8acf2e697&ei=73

Story by Eric He (9 July 2025)

The Trump administration sued California's Department of Education on Wednesday over the state's policy allowing transgender athletes to compete in girls' sports, repeating a threat to withhold billions of dollars in school funding.

The lawsuit, filed in the Central District of California, alleges that California's transgender athlete law violates Title IX, the federal civil rights law that bans sex-based discrimination. It cites Gov. Gavin Newsom's comment earlier this year that it was "deeply unfair" for transgender athletes to compete in girls sports.

A spokesperson for Newsom said that both the state's Department of Education and CIF are independent from his administration and are following state law. Newsom is not named as a party in the suit.

"No court has adopted the interpretation of Title IX that is being advanced by the federal government, and neither the Governor, nor they, get to wave a magic wand and override it –– unlike Donald Trump, California follows the law," spokesperson Izzy Gardon said in a statement.

The lawsuit is the latest escalation in a clash between California and the Trump administration over transgender athletes. The state has so far rebuffed federal efforts to restrict transgender athletes' participation in sports, also arguing last month that local school districts had already certified that their programs and services comply with federal law.