California Rejects Trump Administration Demand to Bar Transgender Athletes from Female Sports

California's Department of Education has formally rejected the Trump administration's demand to ban transgender girls from participating in girls' and women's sports, defying a federal deadline and risking enforcement actions. The Trump administration, citing Title IX and a federal civil rights investigation, claimed California's policies violate the rights of female athletes and threatened to withhold federal funding. This conflict intensified after a transgender athlete qualified for and won events at California's state track and field championships, prompting President Trump to issue public warnings against the state's policies. California officials, supported by the California Interscholastic Federation, have maintained that their longstanding policies allowing transgender athletes to compete according to their gender identity do not discriminate and will not be changed. Education Secretary Linda McMahon criticized California's refusal and signaled that the state would face consequences, including involvement from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. Governor Gavin Newsom, despite supporting LGBTQ+ rights, previously acknowledged the fairness concerns raised by transgender participation in female sports, a nuance McMahon referenced in her rebuke.