Latest news with #KatieMcGuinness
New York Post
09-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Trump admin sues California after civil rights probe faulted state for ‘allowing males in girls' sports'
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration sued California Wednesday after a Department of Education probe found the state had discriminated against women by 'allowing males in girls' sports and intimate spaces.' The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division alleged that the California Department of Education and California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) violated Title IX and forced girls to be 'displaced from podiums, denied awards, and miss out on critical visibility for scholarships and recognition,' according to the complaint filed in Los Angeles federal court. 'This discrimination is not only illegal and unfair but also demeaning, signaling to girls that their opportunities and achievements are secondary to accommodating boys,' the filing stated. Advertisement 'It erodes the integrity of girls' sports, diminishes their competitive experience, and undermines the very purpose of Title IX: to provide equal access to educational benefits, including interscholastic athletics.' The complaint demanded a court order barring the policies, compensation for 'female athletes who have been denied equal athletic opportunities … including correcting past athletics records' and a requirement that California turn in 'regular compliance reports' for at least the next five years. 6 The DOJ's complaint noted that California's compliance was necessary given that its $44.3 billion in fiscal year 2025 funding received from the federal government was conditioned on its compliance with Title IX. Getty Images Advertisement The DOJ's complaint noted that California's compliance was necessary since the $44.3 billion in federal funding the state received this fiscal year was conditioned upon compliance with Title IX. The 1972 law mandates equal opportunities regardless of sex in schools receiving federal funds. CIF receives some of its money from the state's Education Department. The suit comes after transgender athlete Lia Thomas was stripped of University of Pennsylvania swimming titles after the Ivy League school bowed to pressure from the Trump administration. 6 Image of Sports/Newscom via ZUMA Advertisement Penn also agreed to issue formal apologies to every biological female competitor who lost out to a transgender competitor, following an Education Department probe of the university. A similar investigation led to CIF being ordered by July 7 to 'restore to female athletes all individual records, titles, and awards misappropriated by male athletes competing in female competitions' — or face 'imminent enforcement action.' Katie McGuinness, a female long jumper, had placed second against a trans athlete at the CIF's Southern Section Final in May, before the findings of the investigation were announced. 6 Katie McGuinness, a California female long jumper, had placed second against a trans athlete at the CIF's Southern Section Final in May. MediaNews Group via Getty Images Advertisement The feds, upon finishing their probe also asked California's Education Department to 'send a personalized letter apologizing on behalf of the state of California for allowing [McGuinness'] educational experience to be marred by sex discrimination.' CIF governs more than 750,000 student-athletes in grades 9 through 12, per the DOJ. Nearly 6 million K-12 athletes compete for titles in the Golden State, fewer than 10 of whom are transgender, a state official previously noted. 6 President Trump having signed an executive order barring biological males from competing in women's sports and threatened to pull federal funding from states that don't comply. AP California is one of more than 20 states that allows athletes to compete in sports that comport with their chosen 'gender identity' — despite President Trump having signed an executive order in February barring the policy and threatening to pull federal funding to those states that persisted. '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,' Attorney General Pam 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.' 6 'My position is that I don't think it's fair,' California Gov. Gavin Newsom admitted Tuesday, 'but I also think it's demeaning to talk down to people, and to belittle the trans community.' AP Advertisement Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom had acknowledged the 'issue of fairness' but stopped short of calling for a ban on transgender athletes participating in women's sports during a debate with Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk on his 'This is Gavin Newsom' podcast in March. During a visit to the early primary state of South Carolina Tuesday, the California governor admitted that he 'struggled with the issue of fairness when it came to sports.' 'We tried to figure that out a couple of years ago, and we were unsuccessful, and we struggled with that recently,' Newsom said at the time. 6 Most Americans — and as many as 69% of Democrats — support sex-segregated sports participation, a New York Times poll found in January. AFP via Getty Images Advertisement 'My position is that I don't think it's fair, but I also think it's demeaning to talk down to people, and to belittle the trans community. And I don't like the way the right wing talks about the trans community. These people just want to survive.' Most Americans — including up to 69% of Democrats — support sex-segregated sports participation, a New York Times poll found in January. Studies have also found that transgender female athletes maintain a competitive advantage over their biological female peers even after undergoing hormone therapy. Advertisement 'The CIF does not comment on legal matters,' a rep for the athletic governing body said in a statement. Newsom's office and the California Department of Education did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Fox News
27-05-2025
- General
- Fox News
California track star's family reacts to Trump shaking up girls' championship meet amid trans athlete drama
EXCLUSIVE: California's track and field state championship will be an epicenter of political tension this weekend. A family with a daughter trying to win a title is "grateful" to the White House taking notice but not satisfied with where things stand going into the event. President Donald Trump called out the Golden State and Gov. Gavin Newsom in a Truth Social post on Tuesday morning, threatening to cut funding to the state and even send authorities to intervene if a trans-identifying athlete competes in the girls' category at the meet. Just hours later, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) announced it would make a slight rule change for this weekend's championship. The change allows biologically female athletes who fell just shy of qualifying for the championship behind a trans athlete a chance to compete for the title this weekend. Meanwhile, La Canada High School star Katie McGuinness looks to compete for the girls' long jump championship after qualifying automatically last weekend. But McGuinness has so far only managed to finish behind the trans athlete at postseason events this year, including the sectional final on May 17, when she finished second to her Jurupa Valley opponent. The McGuinness family addressed the president's intervention in the situation in an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital. "We are grateful that President Trump is fighting for female athletes and giving them a fair shot to compete on a level playing field. CIF's 'solution' to this situation, which allows additional girls to compete at the state championship who otherwise didn't qualify because the transgender athlete took their spot, isn't good enough – it's still an unfair competition and an injustice to the girls competing," the family said in a statement. "Allowing biological males to compete in women's sports is unfair, unjust and defies common sense," the family added. Katie previously spoke out against CIF for allowing the situation to get this far in an interview on Fox News' "America Reports" last week. "I have nothing against this athlete as a person, and I have nothing against the trans community," McGuinness said. "My message today is really specifically to CIF and for them to act quickly and in a timely manner, because this is a really time-sensitive issue." The La Canada star also recounted the experience of facing the athlete and facing apparent "genetic" disadvantages in a high-stakes high school competition. "I remember thinking to myself, 'OK, I need to get a big jump,'" McGuinness said. "I ran down the runway and I landed, and I watched them measure my mark, and it was 18.9," she said. "And I just remember thinking that there was nothing else that I could do. That was it. And I was honestly very discouraged, and I'm a high school senior, and winning CIF has always been a goal of mine, and I wasn't able to compete with someone who was genetically different than me." She made her overall stance on the issue clear. "There are just certain genetic advantages that biological males have that biological girls don't," she said. "Frankly, I just can't stand for that." The trans athlete has dominated the girls' postseason this year in the triple jump and long jump and is set to compete for the state title on Saturday. The athlete competes for Jurupa Valley High School in Riverside County, California, a community that has been rocked by multiple controversies involving trans athletes, including a lawsuit involving a separate situation at Martin Luther King High School. The CIF is already under a federal Title IX investigation by the U.S. Department of Education. After Trump signed the No Men's in Women's Sports executive order on Feb. 5, the CIF was one of the first high school sports leagues in the country to announce it would not follow the order but instead comply with California's state law. Trans athletes have been allowed to compete as women and girls since 2014, when a law called AB 1266 went into effect after passing in 2013. The state legislature failed to pass two bills that would reverse this policy on April 1, despite the testimony of multiple female athletes and their families in California who have been affected by the issue. Newsom addressed the issue during an episode of his podcast in early March. "Well, I think it's an issue of fairness," Newsom told guest conservative influencer Charlie Kirk. "I completely agree with you on that. It's deeply unfair. "So that's easy to call out the unfairness of that. There's also a humility and a grace … these poor people are more likely to commit suicide, have anxiety and depression, and the way that people talk down to vulnerable communities is an issue that I have a hard time with as well." Newsom's office has since provided a statement supporting the CIF's decision to amend its eligibility policy for the championship event this weekend. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
California girls' track star reveals furious verdict on trans athlete who beat her
A high school track athlete has said she 'can't stand' for trans athletes competing in girls' sports after she was beaten by a trans competitor in a recent event. Katie McGuinness of La Canada High School competed in the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Final over the weekend, and placed second in the long jump. But a trans athlete wound up winning both the long jump and triple jump, and McGuinness expressed her disappointment in the situation in a recent interview. 'There are just certain genetic advantages that biological males have that biological girls don't,' she told Fox News' 'America Reports.' 'Frankly, I just can't stand for that.' She also recalled the events from the meet on Saturday, saying: 'I ran down the runway and I landed and I watched them measure my mark, and it was 18.9. 'And I just remember thinking that there was nothing else that I could do. That was it. And I was honestly very discouraged, and I'm a high school senior and winning CIF has always been a goal of mine, and I wasn't able to compete with someone who was genetically different than me.' Reese Hogan also placed second to the trans competitor in the triple jump, and posed on the winner's podum after In the triple jump category, Crean Lutheran High School's Reese Hogan finished in second to the same trans competitor. After posing alongside the winner and third-place finisher on the podium (in the second-place spot), Hogan briefly posed in the winner's podium spot - resulting in viral attention and an endorsement from anti-trans activist Riley Gaines. 'When the boy got off the podium, she assumed her rightful spot as champion,' Gaines wrote on X. 'The crowd erupts with applause. THIS is the way. Congrats to ReeseHogan , the REAL champ!!!' Hogan had previously competed against the trans athlete and told Fox News Digital: 'It's just kind of sad just watching. He's obviously a really talented athlete, we've all seen him jump and stuff, and I wish him the best of luck, but in a boys' division. 'It's pretty obvious the certain advantages that he has, and it's obviously just sad as a woman to watch that.' The issue of trans athletes competing in women's sports has been in the spotlight even more since President Donald Trump signed an executive order entitled 'Keeping Men out of Women's Sports' in February. His administration has been at war with the state of Maine over its alleged failure to comply with his stance, while the CIF has previously come under fire as well. This past winter, a transgender basketball player dominated play in California, but ultimately did not participate in a playoff game amid fury at the situation. Fox News Digital reported at the time that Trump's Department of Education and Office of Civil Rights was investigating the CIF, and that the trans athlete's school was not the only one in California flouting Trump's executive order. Nonetheless, despite the federal ruling on trans athletes, California has had a law in place since 2014 that allows trans athletes to compete in girls' sports.
Fox News
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
California girls' track athlete opens up on losing first-place title to trans competitor
A high school track meet in Southern California became the latest flashpoint in the state's ongoing conflict with President Donald Trump's administration over trans athletes in girls' sports. There, multiple girls' competitors fell shy of first place to a biologically male trans athlete. The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section Final on Saturday saw the trans athlete take first place in the triple jump and long jump. The second-place finisher in the long jump was Katie McGuinness of La Canada High School. McGuinness recounted the experience of losing to the trans athlete in an interview on Fox News' "America Reports." "I remember thinking to myself, 'OK, I need to get a big jump,'" McGuinness said. "I ran down the runway and I landed and I watched them measure my mark, and it was 18.9," she said. "And I just remember thinking that there was nothing else that I could do. That was it. And I was honestly very discouraged, and I'm a high school senior and winning CIF has always been a goal of mine, and I wasn't able to compete with someone who was genetically different than me." McGuinness made her overall stance on the issue clear. "There are just certain genetic advantages that biological males have that biological girls don't," she said. "Frankly, I just can't stand for that." The second-place finisher to the trans athlete in triple jump, Reese Hogan of Crean Lutheran High School, made it a point to stand on the first-place podium spot for a quick and symbolic photo op. Footage of Hogan taking the top podium spot after the trans athlete stepped off went viral on social media over the weekend. Hogan had just competed against the trans athlete in the prelims a week earlier. At that event, Hogan also came in behind the trans athlete in the triple jump, finishing third, and would have placed one spot higher were it not for the trans athlete. But Hogan did finish ahead of the trans athlete in the high jump. "It's just kind of sad just watching. He's obviously a really talented athlete, we've all seen him jump and stuff, and I wish him the best of luck, but in a boys' division," Hogan previously told Fox News Digital about competing against the athlete. "It's pretty obvious the certain advantages that he has, and it's obviously just sad as a woman to watch that." Hogan also spoke at a press conference to protest the trans athlete at the prelims and wore a shirt that read, "Protect Girls Sports." "It was nothing against the athlete itself, it was just an issue of fairness," Hogan previously said. "Nothing that we can do, no amount of training, no amount of hours that we put in, we could never achieve the same amount of advantages that a man can have." The CIF track and field postseason has been overshadowed by the controversy involving the trans athlete, garnering national scrutiny against the CIF and California Gov. Gavin Newsom. A U.S. Department of Education spokesperson sent a warning to the state in the days leading up to the CIF Southern Section final, referencing previous reports that CIF officials made competitors remove their Protect Girls Sports shirts. "CIF's and Jurupa Valley High School's apparent flouting of federal civil rights law by allowing a male athlete to compete in a female California track and field [Southern Sectional Division 3 final] this Saturday, and the alleged retaliation against the girls who are protesting this, is indefensible," Julie Hartman, a Department of Education spokesperson, told Fox News Digital. The CIF is already under a federal Title IX investigation over the state's trans-inclusion practices. The U.S. Department of Education launched an investigation against CIF in February after President Donald Trump signed the Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports executive order. The CIF was one of the first high school sports leagues in the country to announce it would defy the order. Newsom, in a February episode of his podcast, said he believes trans athletes competing in girls' sports is "deeply unfair" but has not taken any steps as governor to change the state's policies. The state has had a law in place that allows trans athletes to compete with females since 2014. "California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who, in a startling moment of moral clarity, recently remarked that it was 'deeply unfair' for men to compete in women's sports," Hartman continued. "Where is Gov. Newsom now? With or without the governor, the Trump administration's Department of Education's commitment is unwavering: We will not allow institutions to trample upon women's civil rights. OCR's (Office of Civil Rights) investigation into CIF continues with vigor." The trans athlete represents Jurupa Valley High School. The Jurupa Unified School District provided a statement to Fox News Digital in response to the Department of Education's statement. "JUSD continues to follow both California law and CIF policy regarding school athletics. Both state law and CIF policy currently require that students be permitted to participate in athletic teams and competitions consistent with their gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the pupil's records. JUSD remains committed to protecting the rights and safety of the students we serve, in accordance with applicable state and federal laws," the statement reads. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
