US Justice Department Sues California Over Transgender Athlete Inclusion in Girls’ Sports

Washington D.C./Sacramento, California – The U.S. Department of Justice, under the Trump administration, filed a significant lawsuit against the State of California on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, challenging its contentious policy that permits transgender high school athletes to participate on sports teams aligning with their gender identity.

The legal action targets California’s stance, particularly its implementation within the state’s public high school sports framework, which the federal government argues discriminates against cisgender female athletes. The lawsuit claims California’s policy contravenes federal statutes designed to ensure equal opportunity in education and athletics.

Federal Challenge to State Policy

The Trump administration’s lawsuit follows reports that both the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), the governing body for high school sports in the state, and the California Department of Education declined to sign a resolution that would have aligned their policies with a directive from the U.S. Department of Education. That federal directive explicitly sought to prohibit transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports.

According to the Justice Department’s filing, California’s policy effectively allows individuals designated male at birth to compete in girls’ and women’s sports categories. The lawsuit contends that this practice represents a form of discrimination against women and girls by disregarding what the federal government terms “undeniable biological differences.”

Arguments and Contentions

The core of the federal government’s argument rests on the assertion that allowing transgender athletes who were assigned male at birth to compete in female sports categories creates an uneven playing field. The lawsuit suggests that inherent biological advantages persist even after gender transition, potentially undermining the integrity of women’s sports and denying cisgender female athletes fair competitive opportunities, including potential scholarships and recognition.

The state of California, conversely, has maintained that its policy is aligned with principles of inclusion and aims to protect the rights and well-being of transgender students. Proponents of the state’s approach argue that excluding transgender athletes from teams corresponding to their gender identity is discriminatory and harmful, violating state laws and potentially constitutional protections.

Background and Broader Context

This lawsuit is the latest development in a growing national debate over the participation of transgender individuals in sports, particularly in categories designated for women and girls. Across the United States, numerous states have considered or enacted legislation to restrict or ban transgender athletes from competing on teams that do not match the sex they were assigned at birth. These state-level actions have often drawn legal challenges from civil rights organizations and advocacy groups.

The U.S. Department of Education under the Trump administration had previously issued interpretations and directives emphasizing biological sex in the context of Title IX, the federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in federally funded education programs or activities. The directive reportedly declined by the CIF and the California Department of Education appears to be a direct outgrowth of this federal stance.

Implications and Future

The lawsuit seeks to compel California to alter its sports participation policies to align with the federal government’s interpretation and directive. The outcome of this legal challenge could have significant implications not only for high school sports in California but potentially set a precedent or influence similar debates and legal actions in other states.

Legal experts anticipate a complex and potentially lengthy court battle. The case will likely involve detailed arguments concerning interpretations of anti-discrimination laws, the definition of sex in the context of sports, and the rights of transgender individuals versus the rights of cisgender female athletes.

As of Wednesday, July 9, 2025, California officials had not yet issued a detailed public response to the specific lawsuit filed by the Trump administration’s Justice Department. The filing marks a direct confrontation between the federal government and one of the nation’s most populous states over a deeply divisive social and legal issue with profound implications for education, sports, and civil rights.