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The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit against California July 9, accusing the state of violating Title IX by allowing males to compete in girls’ and women’s sports.
“These discriminatory policies and practices ignore undeniable biological differences between boys and girls, in favor of an amorphous ‘gender identity,'” the complaint states. “The results of these illegal policies are stark: girls are displaced from podiums, denied awards, and miss out on critical visibility for college scholarships and recognition.”
The lawsuit names the California Department of Education and the California Interscholastic Federation, which enforce the state’s controversial 2013 law allowing student-athletes to compete based on self-declared “gender identity” rather than sex.
Federal officials seek a permanent injunction against the policy, retroactive correction of athletic records, and compensation for female athletes “who have been denied equal athletic opportunities.” The DOJ also demands Title IX compliance reports over the next five years.
Attorney General Pam Bondi criticized California Gov. Gavin Newsom for defending the state’s policies in a statement announcing the lawsuit.
“The Governor of California has previously admitted that it is ‘deeply unfair’ to force women and girls to compete with men and boys in competitive sports,” Bondi said. “But not only is it ‘deeply unfair,’ it is also illegal under federal law. This Department of Justice will continue its fight to protect equal opportunities for women and girls in sports.”
Bondi was referencing a March exchange between Newsom and conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.
During the exchange, Kirk asked Newsom: “The young man who’s about to win the state championship in the long jump in female sports, that shouldn’t happen… Would you say no men in female sports?”
“It is an issue of fairness — it’s deeply unfair,” Newsom responded. “I am not wrestling with the fairness issue. I totally agree with you.”
In late June, the DOJ proposed a resolution agreement to the state that would have required public schools to remove male athletes from girls’ teams. California declined to sign by the July 7 deadline.
The department “respectfully disagrees with OCR’s analysis, and it will not sign the proposed resolution agreement,” General Counsel for California’s Department of Education Len Garfinkel said, according to The Hill.
The suit follows President Donald Trump’s February executive order banning males from competing in female sports.
In May, Trump threatened to revoke federal funding from California unless it reversed course. Trump pointed to an incident where a 16-year-old male won the girls’ long jump and triple jump, qualifying for the state championships. The DOJ opened its investigation into the state’s 2013 policy the next day.
