Kern High School District, California’s largest by enrollment with more than 40,000 students across 31 schools, narrowly approved a 3‑2 vote in favor of a Title IX resolution that would bar biological males from competing in girls’ sports. The policy is explicitly designed to override the state’s existing protections for transgender athletes.
The resolution, authored by Sonja Shaw (Chino Valley Unified School District Board President), declares, “Boys are boys. Girls are girls. God made them beautiful just the way they are.” Supporters say the measure restores fairness and truth to athletics, while critics contend it discriminates against transgender students.
California law since 2013 has allowed student athletes to participate according to their gender identity, a policy now challenged by this local move. This district action places Kern among 16 districts or school boards in California to adopt resolutions opposing trans inclusion in girls’ sports.
The vote comes amid a federal lawsuit by the U.S. Department of Justice seeking to force California to change its policies. The DOJ contends state protections for transgender athletes violate Title IX’s mandate to provide equal athletic opportunities for girls.
Many parents and athletes see the decision as a moral victory. Others warn it could escalate legal fights, pit local school boards against state authority, and deepen division within communities.
