The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has mandated that California public high schools certify by June 9, 2025, that they do not permit transgender athletes to compete in girls’ sports. This directive intensifies a federal investigation into the state’s adherence to Title IX regulations.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, leading the DOJ Civil Rights Division, issued a letter to California school districts. She emphasized that “knowingly depriving female students of athletic opportunities and benefits on the basis of their sex would constitute unconstitutional sex discrimination under the Equal Protection Clause.”
The investigation focuses on California’s School Success and Opportunity Act (AB 1266), enacted in 2014, which allows students to participate in sports teams aligning with their gender identity. The DOJ is scrutinizing whether this law infringes upon Title IX, the federal statute prohibiting sex-based discrimination in educational programs receiving federal funding.
This federal action follows a recent incident where a transgender athlete, AB Hernandez, won events at the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section Finals. The athlete’s participation sparked protests and led to the CIF modifying its competition rules to accommodate additional biological female athletes.
President Donald Trump has previously signed Executive Order 14201, titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” directing federal agencies to enforce a ban on transgender girls and women participating in female sports teams. The order threatens to revoke federal funding from educational institutions that allow such participation, citing violations of Title IX.
The DOJ’s current investigation includes examining the actions of California Attorney General Rob Bonta, State Superintendent Tony Thurmond, the CIF, and the Jurupa Unified School District. The probe aims to determine if these entities have engaged in practices that discriminate based on sex.
California officials have yet to respond publicly to the DOJ’s demands. The outcome of this investigation could have significant implications for federal funding and the enforcement of Title IX across the state.
