DOJ takes major action amid California high school sport controversy after trans athlete crushed female rivals
California 's transgender controversy escalated Wednesday when the US Department of Justice announced it would be launching an investigation into the state's high school sports.
California was rocked by controversy this week when high school athlete AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley, who is a biological male, qualified for three events at the state track and field championships.
In the wake of responding outrage, the DOJ announced Wednesday that it would be ramping up an investigation into the state's high school sports amid fears of Title IX violations.
The department said that by allowing transgender athletes to compete in girls' sport the state law could violate Title IX - a federal law that prohibits sex discrimination at educational institutions.
The DOJ said it had sent legal notices to the state attorney general, state superintendent of public instruction and the California Interscholastic Federation. It also announced that it has joined the US Department of Education's investigation into the CIF and had directed the US attorney's office in Southern California to review the state's policies.
'Title IX exists to protect women and girls in education. It is perverse to allow males to compete against girls, invade their private spaces, and take their trophies,' said Harmeet K. Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. 'This Division will aggressively defend women's hard-fought rights to equal educational opportunities.'
'The law is clear: Discrimination on the basis of sex is illegal and immoral,' said United States Attorney Bill Essayli. 'My office and the rest of the Department of Justice will work tirelessly to protect girls' sports and stop anyone – public officials included – from violating women's civil rights.'
The move comes just one day after Donald Trump intervened on the matter, threatening to yank federal funding to California unless the state prohibited Hernandez from competing.
Trump blasted Gov. Gavin Newsom , who he called 'Newscum,' and called the results 'not fair and totally demeaning to women and girls.'
'Please be advised that large scale federal funding will be held back, maybe permanently,' Trump threatened on his Truth Social site.
He added: 'I am ordering local authorities, if necessary, to not allow the transitioned person to compete in the State Finals. This is a totally ridiculous situation!!!'
Hernandez cruised to a number of resounding long jump and triple jump wins over female opponents for their school at last weekend's California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Masters Meet.
The junior student's victories earned them qualification to the state championships, which will be held in the California city of Clovis from May 30-31.
The latest example of a trans athlete competing in female sports comes after Trump's bill to ban that from happening fell into the senate earlier this month.
Legislation that aimed to bar trans women and girls nationwide from participating in school athletic competitions designated for female athletes failed to advance in a divided Senate as Democrats stood united against an issue that Republicans leveraged in last year's elections.
A test vote on the bill failed to gain the 60 votes needed to advance in the chamber as senators stuck to party lines in a 51-45 vote tally.
The bill sought to determine Title IX protections 'based solely on a person´s reproductive biology and genetics at birth.'
Hernandez was also in the headlines last weekend after a teenage girl they beat to first place at a track-and-field meet waited for her rival to get down from the top of the podium before posing up there herself.
And as the controversy surrounding their participation continues, the trans athlete's mom has been confronted by angry parents whose daughters are losing out on gold medals as a result.
In a video which has gone viral on TikTok, the mother in question is approached by another mom who questions why she is allowing her male-born child to compete in women's sports.
'What a coward of a woman you are allowing that,' she can be heard shouting.
The parent is also heard saying: 'Your mental illness is on your son, coward.'
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