California rejects Trump administration demand to ban trans athletes

July 8, 2025

By KAREN VELIE

California Department of Education officials on Monday rejected the Trump administration’s demand that the state ban transgender athletes from girl’s sports.

On June 25, the Trump administration announced that the California Department of Education had violated civil rights law by allowing transgender students to compete on girls sports teams. Federal laws require schools to provide girls an equal opportunity to compete in sports while laws in California allow boys and girls to compete in sports and use locker rooms of the gender they identify with.

The federal Education Department provided a proposed resolution that would require California to bar transgender women from participating in female sports and strip transgender athletes of any awards or records received in woman’s sports. The state had 10 days to comply or risk losing federal funding for schools.

On Monday, California officials formally rejected the Office of Civil Rights determination that California was violating the rights of female students.

“The California Department of Education … respectfully disagrees with OCR’s analysis and it will not sign the proposed resolution agreement,” wrote Len Garfinkel, general counsel for the department.

The Education Department could terminate federal education funding to California at a time many school districts are facing financial hardships.

“The Trump Administration will relentlessly enforce Title IX protections for women and girls, and our findings today make clear that California has failed to adhere to its obligations under federal law,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in June. “The state must swiftly come into compliance with Title IX or face the consequences that follow.”

Title IX is a 1972 law forbidding sex discrimination based in education.

 


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Why is state leadership pushing this agenda so hard? Guaranteed if put to a vote at least 80% of even the California population would side with the feds on this issue.


I am NOT against any Americans, including Trans, I personally know a few whom I care for very much. You, as an American have a right to live as you want, as long as you are not harming, nor denying the rights of others, right?

So ask yourself, is it harming others for Trans females to take a few hormones after puberty? after they’ve grown all those testosterone fueled bones and muscles, then compete against women? How is that fair to Born female athletes?

There are a lot less Trans athletes than born Woman Athletes. Why the Big push to go against the majority? I thought this was a “Democracy” where Majority wins? Being Anti Trans competing in Woman sports is NOT anti Trans! ITs a simple question of what is fair play?


Big difference between biological gender and gender identity. To lose federal funding causing financial hardships for so many because of a select few is absurd.


Try to take this comment objectively.. because that’s how I’m trying to be. I actually have no strong feelings about this issue as I see it from both sides.


Tariffs can be costly too, as can cutting of science funding.. but some people believe that it’s the right way to approach things and those people currently have their representative as POTUS (CEO).


California, whether I or you like it or not, is still controlled by liberals and they do represent the majority of the voters here.. and so the representatives elected here follow this road.


My point here is that standing on one’s party’s principles can in fact be costly, so to make that an argument against something seems… one sided and irrational.


Title IX is federal law that States are required to enforce regardless of what party is in power. Its obvious California is run by braindead liberals.


Trump administration is just beyond eager to get cut off from the billions tax dollars sent out from CA. Regardless of this particular issue; I think it’s time we oblige them as they don’t seem to know their place. Back off state’s rights!


The rights of biological females to play sports in a fair competitive environment doesn’t matter to you?


I have mixed on this personally, but you’re ignoring the the actual comment which was about state’s rights.. and at the end of the day, this isn’t up to POTUS, it’s up the majority of the voters in this state, who happen to be liberal.


Maybe address the states’ rights issue?


What states right issue? There doesn’t seem to be an issue with that according to the article. The state had every right to tell the Fed ‘No’ and in return the state can deal with the consequences of doing so, which in this case is no Federal funding for state schools. The same thing can be said about speed limits, Fed says roads can not exceed a certain speed if you want federal funding for those roads. States can set their own speed limits if they do not want and federal funding just like in this situation.


Withholding funds because of a states choice, which they have the right to make, is absolutely a direct assault on those rights. Federal funds aren’t partisan and they dont get to be.


“Regardless of this particular issue”. Reading comprehension is at an all time low in this country…


How about Girl’s Rights?


In my day we got hear from NOW, Women Libbers, and Femma Nazis about women’s rights, where the hell are they on this issue.


Stupid hill to die on. I think California is the looser here. Newsome will continue focus on everything anti Trump. His campaign promises:

1.Universal health care for all regardless of ability to pay

2.A Marshall plan for affordable housing production of 3.5 million housing units over the next decade

3.A master plan for aging with dignity

4.A middle class workforce strategy

5.A cradle to college promise

6.Universal preschool

7.An all hands approach to end child poverty

8.Audaciouse and bold action to the homeless crisis

Promises kept? I didn’t vote for him so no dog in this fight, but, have to ask if Dems approve of his track record.


“States rights”?. Exactly. Cal can do as it wishes and suffer the consequences at the ballot box. But the Federal government isn’t obligated to support it. BTW, how much is Cal in debt now? Great job! LOL!


Why is the state forcing districts to comply with state law? Should a district not be free to establish their own policy? District rights!


I’m sure you’d be singing the same tune if a southern state decided they didn’t care to comply with the Civil Rights Act, or a state’s rights to secede, right??


Girls vs. Girls and Boys vs. Boys , it’s not a schematic. Shouldn’t even be a thing to discuss.


As the strongest go to the top of the list, in time the women league, as California is prepping for, will likely be trans.


Time now for all the reports from school officials and politicians on how school children are going to be harmed because of the cuts to all the programs they are going to have to do without the money, instead they could avoid this very simply by agreeing to adhere to Title IX protections or if they don’t want to protect girls in schools cut administrations to offset the federal funding loss. Of course they could file lawsuits, paid for by taxpayers.


Getting my popcorn ready for the real fireworks show in the comment section.


Ever since Republicans fought for, and won the right for women to vote, the left has hated women more.