California officials have formally rejected a demand from the Trump administration to prohibit transgender athletes from participating in school sports, choosing instead to uphold the state’s existing policies that support students competing in alignment with their gender identity. The decision places California directly at odds with federal officials who claim such inclusion amounts to discrimination against cisgender girls.
The conflict began when the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights sent letters to both the California Department of Education (CDE) and the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) on June 25. The letters accused the two organizations of violating federal protections for women and girls by allowing transgender athletes to compete. Federal officials claimed that this practice constituted sex-based discrimination and gave the state agencies ten days to agree to a proposed resolution or face potential legal consequences.
In its response, the California Department of Education made clear that it disagreed with the federal interpretation of the law and would not sign the resolution agreement. The department’s legal counsel described the Office for Civil Rights’ legal reasoning as flawed and reaffirmed California’s commitment to its current approach. The CIF issued its own reply echoing the Department of Education’s stance, saying it stood by the state’s position and would not comply with the federal request.
Top federal officials quickly criticized California’s decision. The U.S. Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, accused the state of refusing to follow federal law and characterized its response as politically motivated rather than grounded in any real legal defense. The comment suggested that California’s leadership was failing to act in the interest of fairness, despite previously acknowledging the importance of fair competition in sports.
Meanwhile, the Department of Justice also escalated the matter. A senior DOJ official, Harmeet K. Dhillon, argued that allowing transgender athletes to compete in girls’ sports was not only unfair but also unconstitutional. According to their interpretation, this practice violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, positioning the issue as one of fundamental legal rights rather than just policy preference.
California officials pushed back on that framing. The state’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tony Thurmond, stated that there had been no change in federal law that would require them to alter their current practices. He emphasized that California’s legal protections for transgender students had been in place for over a decade and that the state had no intention of deviating from its commitment to supporting students’ rights to participate in sports according to their gender identity.
Reactions among college students have reflected a range of views, though many voiced support for the state’s decision to stand its ground.
Shaelyn Lazo, a senior at CSU Monterey Bay, said it seemed like the federal government was exaggerating the impact of transgender athletes and creating controversy where there didn’t need to be any. In her view, the issue was being politicized in a way that “distracted from more meaningful discussions about equity in school sports.”
Another student, Enoch Delrio, a junior at UC Riverside, said the push from federal officials felt “performative” and that if fairness was the true concern, there would be “more focus on structural inequalities in school athletics” rather than targeting a marginalized group.
California’s education leaders have stated that they will continue to follow state law, which they believe provides a clear framework for supporting all students, including those who are transgender. For now, the state appears prepared to defend its position, even as federal officials threaten further action.
