The Department of Justice is suing the state of California for allowing transgender students to play in competitive team sports.
The federal government alleges California is violating Title IX, which bans gender-based discrimination in schools.
The Trump administration used the California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s words against him, when he said, “It is ‘deeply unfair’ for girls to compete against boys,” as the lawsuit states.
The California Department of Education, or CDE, and the California Interscholastic Federation, or CIF, which oversees high school sports, are listed as the defendants.
The lawsuit detailed what the administration sees as the consequences of the Golden State’s policies on girls, who are “displaced from podiums, denied awards, and miss out on critical visibility for college scholarships and recognition.”
Girls are also required “to share intimate spaces, such as locker rooms, with boys,” the lawsuit states.
Here’s how the lawsuit came about
California Gov. Gavin Newsom discusses President Donald Trump’s tariffs during a press conference on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at an almond farm in Ceres, Calif. | Noah Berger
Newsom had made the ‘deeply unfair’ remark in March 2025 about transgender athletes’ participation in competitive sports in conversation with Charlie Kirk on his podcast “This is Newsom.”
There is speculation the California governor wants to run for president in 2028. His podcast, where he often invites guests he disagrees with, comes alongside his regular appearances on networks like Fox News and Newsmax.
Still, he supported CIF’s decision to change a rule in June that would allow more girls to qualify for the state finals.
CIF’s rule change allowed a transgender athlete to qualify for the California State Track and Field and win the girls triple jump and long jump.
As this athlete made headlines, the Trump White House threatened to withhold “large scale federal funding” from California, “maybe permanently, if the Executive Order on this subject matter is not adhered to.”
Trump was referring to his February 5 order that allows the federal government to “rescind all funds from educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities,” according to the White House.
The same month, the Civil Rights Office at the DOE concluded its investigation into the CDE and CIF, and found the state’s recent decision to allow transgender athletes to participate in girls’ sports is a violation of Title IX.
At the time, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon promised to “relentlessly enforce” the antidiscrimination law of 1972 and called for the state to do the same.
California had 10 days to backtrack on its latest policy changes.
But state officials denied any wrongdoing and refused to ban transgender athletes from competing in sports.
Newsom’s office called the Trump White House’s proposed resolution a “political document.”
His press office in a post on X directed at Secretary McMahon, said she “is confusing government with her WrestleMania days — dramatic, fake, and completely divorced from reality. This won’t stick.”
McMahon warned Newsom that he will “be hearing from” U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.
This exchange came ahead of the decision by the Civil Rights Office to sue. Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Harmeet K. Dhillon in a statement said, “The Justice Department will not stand for policies that deprive girls of their hard-earned athletic trophies and ignore their safety on the field and in private spaces.”
Sen. Mike Lee called Dhillon a “national treasure” in response to her lawsuit.
What’s at stake for California?
The legal complaint threatens to rescind existing and future federal funding to California. It notes the U.S. Department of Education sent the state $44.3 billion for fiscal year 2025. Only about $3.8 billion of that remains unspent.
This is the latest point of contention between the blue state and the federal government.
Protests erupted in Los Angeles last month in response to the U.S. immigration and Customs Enforcement’s raids on undocumented migrants.
In an attempt to clamp down on the protests, President Donald Trump deployed thousands of National Guardsmen and hundreds of Marines to L.A.
But tensions only escalated as the anti-ICE movement quickly spread across the country and some confrontations between federal agents and protesters grew violent.
L.A. and several other Californian cities filed a legal complaint last week in the latest attempt to pushback on the Trump White House’s deportation measures.
This federal class action lawsuit against the Trump administration alleges the immigration raids were carried out through illegal methods, like racial profiling or the use of excessive force, as Politico reported.