DOJ investigating California for potential Title IX violations over trans athlete policies
The Brief
The DOJ is investigating California for potential Title IX violations because of its policies regarding transgender athletes in sports.
This weekend, a transgender athlete will compete in the state track and field championship.
President Donald Trump has threatened to pull federal funding from California if the state allows that student to compete.
JURUPA VALLEY, Calif. - The U.S. Department of Justice announced a new investigation in California to determine whether the state is violating Title IX by allowing trans athletes to compete in girls' sports.
"By allowing a boy to go on the girls' team is a violation of Title IX," said U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli.
What we know
On Wednesday, Essayli and the Justice Department launched an investigation over possible Title IX violations in Jurupa Valley, and a trans athlete taking first place in girls track in field events.
"Title IX is clear, you cannot discriminate based on sex," said Essayli.
The federal offices are also joining an ongoing lawsuit against Riverside Unified School District after a trans athlete displaced a girl for a varsity spot on a high school cross-country team.
SUGGESTED: Students, parents react to California's transgender high school sports controversy
Currently, California law requires schools to allow transgender athletes to participate in sports consistent with their gender identity.
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What they're saying
"Everyone [in these California cases] is violating [Title IX]," said Essaylli. "The school district is violating it, CIF, and the state law is violating it."
Later this week, AB Hernandez, a transgender athlete at Jurupa Valley High School, will compete in several events at the track and field state championship.
Hernandez has been the center of the Title IX debate in recent weeks and spoke with "Capital & Main" about the backlash at meets.
"I'm still a child and you're an adult," Hernandez told Capital and Main News. "For you to act like a child, shows how you are as a person. There's nothing I can do about peoples' actions, just focus on my own."
The backstory
In February, President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning trans athletes from competing in girls' sports. Then on Tuesday, he posted a lengthy message to Truth Social referencing the Hernandez case without mentioning a name. In the post, Trump threatened to stop federal funding in California if Hernandez competes this week in the state finals.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Trump threatens to cut California's federal funding over transgender athlete controversy
Following Trump's post, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) changed the rules ahead of this week's track and field state championship. On Wednesday CIF told FOX 11, if a trans athlete wins an event at this week's championship they'll receive a gold, as will the first biological female.
"That's strange and doesn't solve the problem," said U.S. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillion. "The problem is a boy being allowed to compete against girls."
According to Dhillion, the new Title IX investigation in California could set a precedent for 21 other states with similar trans athlete laws.
"You look at why Title IX was ever needed," said Dhillion. "It was needed so girls could have an equal opportunity to compete. They don't have an equal opportunity to compete when boys are competing against girls."
The Source
Information in this story is from U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, the California Interscholastic Federation, an interview AB Hernandez gave to "Capital & Main," and U.S. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillion.
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