We need to protect fairness and safety for our daughters

June 19, 2025

Open letter to the U.S. Department of Justice by Kenney Enney

My name is Kenney Enney. I am a member of the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District School Board in Paso Robles. I am writing to thank you for your efforts regarding the June 2 letter issued by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Civil Rights Division. This email solely represents my views and not the views of the district Board of Trustees.

On June 2, I was made aware of the DOJ letter to all California school districts and requested that the district school superintendent schedule a special board meeting in order to draft a response by the June 9 deadline. Per district board bylaws, a majority of the board had to agree in order to hold that special meeting. The effort failed on June 3, with the board opting to ignore the June 2 DOJ letter.

As a duly elected trustee of the school district, I proudly and unequivocally stand in full support of the June 2 DOJ letter and the DOJ Civil Rights Division’s position that California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Bylaw 300.D is unconstitutional and agree that school districts should reject its implementation.

CIF Bylaw 300.D mandates that California public schools allow male participation in girls’ sports based solely on gender identity. This policy not only violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, but it undermines the fairness, safety, and integrity of girls’ athletics.

This is not just a legal issue—it is a moral obligation to protect fairness and safety for our daughters.  I applaud the DOJ stance highlighting that biological sex matters in sports, and that forcing girls to compete against male athletes strips them of the opportunities and protections that Title IX was designed to guarantee.

Many recognize the legal risks school districts like PRJUSD face if they continue to abide by CIF Bylaw 300.D, including the threat of civil rights litigation, loss of federal funding, and institutional liability. Our duty is not to comply blindly with unlawful state mandates, but to uphold the constitutional rights of our students and staff.

For the two years that I have been a member of the district board, I have seen a pattern of civil rights violations. From 2020 until 2025, board policies permitted display of “pride” flags on campuses and in classrooms however, banned the “thin blue line” and “Christian” flags as being political.

In spite of being made aware of the Shurtleff v. Boston decision on May 22, the board chose to maintain the bias policy.

In April, a substitute teacher was dismissed after posting on social media, pictures of feminine hygiene products in elementary school boys’ bathrooms along with mocking comments embarrassing to the school district. Ignoring the rights of young girls by forcing them to undress in front of males and to compete against males in athletic events is just another example of the disregard the district board has for the constitutional rights of its students and employees with opposing points of view.

I will continue to fight against implementation of CIF Bylaw 300.D, and for the equal protection of the constitutional rights of all students and employees within the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District.  I sincerely appreciate your efforts in defending the rights of our young women.