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SANTA ANA, Calif. (CN) — The Trump administration sued the California Department of Education on Wednesday over state policies that allow transgender girls to participate on female, high school sports teams.
The U.S. Department of Justice said in the complaint filed in Santa Ana, California, that those policies discriminate against girls in interscholastic athletics by mandating that schools allow some “boys” to compete in girls’ sports, which denies girls equal educational opportunities.
“The governor of California has previously admitted that it is ‘deeply unfair’ to force women and girls to compete with men and boys in competitive sports,” U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement. “But not only is it ‘deeply unfair,’ it is also illegal under federal law. This Department of Justice will continue its fight to protect equal opportunities for women and girls in sports.”
The lawsuit follows President Donald Trump’s Feb. 5, 2025, executive order intended to ban transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s sports.
That order, titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” gives federal agencies, including the Justice and Education departments, wide latitude to ensure entities that receive federal funding abide by Title IX in accordance with the Trump administration’s view that transgender girls and women are still “boys” and “men.”
The Justice Department says in the suit that the named defendants, the California Department of Education and the California Interscholastic Federation, which oversees high school sports in the state, received $44.3 billion from the U.S. Department of Education for 2025.
The administration’s antipathy toward what Trump has called “transgender insanity" also has resulted in orders banning transgender soldiers from the military and cutting federal funding for providers of gender-affirming care and for “gender ideology.”
The Justice Department claims in the lawsuit that their policies are discriminatory and ignore undeniable biological differences between boys and girls, in favor of an amorphous “gender identity.”
“The results of these illegal policies are stark: girls are displaced from podiums, denied awards and miss out on critical visibility for college scholarships and recognition,” according to the department.
The Justice Department accuses the California agencies of violating Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which states that students can’t be excluded on the basis of sex from participation in, be denied the benefits of or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.
“We are aware of the Trump Administration’s lawsuit challenging California law,” a representative of California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in an email. “Our office remains committed to defending and upholding California laws and the rights of all students, including transgender students, to be free from discrimination and harassment.”
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