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Fox News
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Girl athletes express fear over school district switching sports conferences to accommodate trans athletes
A public school district is in the process of transferring from Nevada's high school sports conference to California's so it can avoid Nevada's new policy that keeps biological males out of high school girls' competitions and locker rooms. The Tahoe Truckee Unified School District (TTUSD) in Truckee, California, is leaving the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA) to join the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF). The change will go into effect in Fall 2025 and comes after the NIAA voted to ban trans athletes from the girls' category during its April 2 Board of Control meeting. It was made in order to comply with President Donald Trump's "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" executive order. However, California has continued to defy the order and enable trans inclusion in girls' sports. Multiple TTUSD parents and girls' athletes pleaded with school officials not to make the switch to California's federation at the Truckee Unified school board meeting Wednesday night. Not only did they speak out the notion of letting trans athletes in girls' sports, but many speakers also pointed out that other details of the switch would affect the district's sports teams' ability to conduct their seasons, including travel and scheduling changes that would bring about potential weather complications for outdoor events. The current setup with Truckee competing in the NIAA allows its teams to travel east into Nevada for most of its away competition, as the town sits near the northern California-Nevada border. But with the coming change, the student athletes could soon have to travel west for most of their away competition. This means that students will often have to travel through California's Donner Pass, a 7,056-foot-high mountain pass. During winter, the pass is known for being dangerous due to extreme weather conditions like heavy snowfall, strong winds and icy roads. The high elevation and frequent storms contribute to treacherous travel conditions, including the potential for avalanches. Truckee high school girls' track and field athlete Ava Cochram expressed her fears of playing against trans athletes. "Men generally have more muscle mass, higher lung capacity and greater bone density that gives them greater advantages, physically, in sports, and I think that it's very unfair to watch all of our hard work as women to go down the drain," Cochram said. "I do not have anything against trans people, but I think this is a violation of our privacy." Truckee High School girls' soccer, track and basketball athlete Kenzie Zilstorf lamented the idea of changing with trans athletes in the same locker room, and having to increase the risk of travel with the change. "It's even more bad if a woman has to go in the locker room with a man and change with them. There's two genders, a man and a woman," Zilstorf said. "And I think it's unfair that we have to take a dangerous drive to risk our lives over the summit when there's snow, all because of a privacy rule. This is wrong." North Tahoe High School girls' soccer player Anna Holly said she isn't even going to be playing girls' soccer anymore because of the change. "It's sad for me, because this is the only time I get to play soccer in my life, and I really do enjoy it, but I'm choosing basketball over that," Holly said. "And biologically, boys are born with greater speed and strength than girls, and having to play against them, they do have an unfair advantage, and I would not feel safe with them. There's also safety concerns about how much stronger they are than us." TTUSD still defended its decision to switch to CIF in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. "A recent Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA) policy change made on April 2, 2025, directly conflicts with California state law, specifically the California Education Code's mandate against discrimination and protection of student privacy. Given the direct conflict between the NIAA's recent policy changes and the mandates of California state law, TTUSD viewed joining a California athletics association as a necessary action to ensure legal compliance," read a statement from the TTUSD to Fox News Digital. TTUSD also said it anticipates the new arrangements will lead to shorter travel times for its student athletes for away competitions, despite concerns over the Donner Pass. "TTUSD is working with CIF on details related to league assignment, schedules, and travel distances. We anticipate that the overall mileage student-athletes travel within the CIF will be less than our current travel schedules," the district's statement read. CIF is one of many high school sports conferences located in blue states to defy Trump's executive order since it was signed on Feb. 5. It is currently under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education for its defiance of the order, and Education Secretary Linda McMahon has warned Governor Gavin Newsom that his state could be subject to federal funding freezes if it continues to defy. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Fox News
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
2 California high schools set to leave Nevada athletics org over trans athlete rules
Join Fox News for access to this content Plus special access to select articles and other premium content with your account - free of charge. By entering your email and pushing continue, you are agreeing to Fox News' Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive. Please enter a valid email address. Having trouble? Click here. Two California high schools will leave the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA) over the state's decision to prohibit transgender athletes from competing in girls' sports. Truckee and North Tahoe High Schools were the two schools set to leave the athletics association, the Reno Gazette Journal reported Friday. Both schools sit near the California-Nevada border. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON Truckee Schools spokesperson Amber Burke told the newspaper that the move was made because the high schools need to follow California laws regarding sex discrimination. "We are a California school district, and so we must adhere to California state law," Burke said. "It is related to the recent NIAA policy changes regarding student-athlete eligibility based on biological sex. That conflicts with California laws." The Truckee Tahoe United School District sent a letter to parents, saying the Nevada rules "directly conflict with California laws protecting gender identity and expression, including AB 1955, which guarantees students' rights to privacy and protects them from discrimination," according to the Reno Gazette Journal. The NIAA voted in April to adopt a new gender eligibility policy that bans trans athletes from girls' sports. Only biological females can compete against girls in the state. The change marked a reversal from the state's previous policy that enabled trans athletes to compete in girls' and women's sports, which has resulted in multiple controversial incidents of it happening in recent years. MAINE ROCKED BY TRANS ATHLETE DOMINANCE AT GIRLS' TRACK MEET AMID ONGOING LEGAL CONFLICT WITH TRUMP The two schools will move to the California Interscholastic Federation. The state planned to keep its gender-eligibility policy to allow biological males to compete against females in sports, thumbing its nose at President Donald Trump's executive order. A bipartisan survey by the Public Policy Institute of California released in April found the majority of California residents oppose biological male trans athletes competing in women's sports. California Gov. Gavin Newsom admitted trans athletes competing in girls' sports is "deeply unfair" during an episode of his podcast last month but defended allowing it out of empathy for the transgender population. "The Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association has been notified that Tahoe-Truckee Unified School District is seeking to withdraw from the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association," NIAA Executive Director Tim Jackson said Monday, via the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "We are working with the district to guide them through the withdrawal process, ensuring a smooth and collaborative transition. Throughout this process, the NIAA remains committed to supporting all member schools and student-athletes." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "As we move forward, we will prioritize solidifying athletic schedules for the upcoming fall season and maintain clear, ongoing communication with all stakeholders to minimize disruptions and ensure clarity for all involved. We appreciate the longstanding partnership with Tahoe-Truckee Unified School District and are dedicated to supporting their transition while upholding the best interests of all our member schools." Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter .
Associated Press
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Nevada board moves to limit transgender athletes in school sports
Nevada has become the latest state to curtail the participation of transgender athletes in school sports after the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA) reversed a 2014 policy that allowed transgender students in high schools to play for teams that align with their gender identity. In a near-unanimous vote on Tuesday, the group's board — a group including parents, principals and athletic directors that governs athletics at more than 120 high schools in Nevada — passed a new policy that limits students to playing sports that align with the sex listed on their 'unaltered original birth certificate.' It also scheduled an emergency meeting in May to discuss implementation. It follows a February executive order from President Donald Trump seeking to ban transgender athletes in women's sports. Soon after publication of the executive order, which calls for revoking federal funds from any entities who violate it, the NCAA announced it would ban transgender women from participating in women's sports. The NIAA and its member school districts don't collect data on how many transgender student athletes are participating in its sanctioned sports. In December, NCAA President Charlie Baker said that he was aware of 10 transgender athletes competing in college sports nationwide. There is scant evidence in Nevada of transgender athletes at any level either hurting female students physically during competition or hindering their opportunities, though several female athletes publicly stated during the meeting and at the Legislature that they fear playing against transgender athletes. Under the new policy, student athletes would be required to complete a medical form that includes signatures from the student, parent and a medical provider verifying the accuracy of the student's birth sex. The policy states that 'sex' is not synonymous for and 'does not include the concept of gender identity.' But the new policy could potentially come into conflict with the Nevada Constitution's Equal Rights Amendment, which was passed by voters in 2022, and guarantees equal rights regardless of gender identity. 'The way I read this is it's patently discriminatory on its face,' Athar Haseebullah, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, said in an interview Tuesday. 'Gender identity and expression were specifically included for provisions within the (Equal Rights Amendment) for a reason.' NIAA board member Colin McNaught, the principal at Cimarron-Memorial High School in Las Vegas, was also concerned that the new policy would create fear among undocumented students. 'I guarantee you that schools like mine will have half the athletes next school year if this is the decision we make,' he said at the meeting, before abstaining from the vote. The decision was cheered by Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony, a Republican who formed a task force earlier this year to 'protect women's sports.' Dozens of Nevada girls provided public comment last week in support of a bill — dead on arrival in the Democrat-controlled Legislature — to prohibit transgender athletes from competing in girls sports at Nevada schools. 'Today's vote sends a clear message: Nevada values and protects opportunities for female athletes,' he said in a statement. The previous policy allowed high school student athletes to participate in an NIAA-sanctioned sport that aligned with their preferred gender identity, regardless of the gender listed on their birth certificate. Brooke Maylath, a transgender rights advocate in Nevada, said in an interview Tuesday that the policy 'has worked and provided much-needed equity for those athletes in the state of Nevada.' 'That's what sports are for … supporting others who may not be like you,' Maylath said. During Tuesday's meeting, NIAA legal counsel Paul Anderson said the new policy does not discriminate against transgender students. 'Nobody's being precluded from competition, but female students and women are being protected as a result of adopting this position statement,' Anderson said. However, he said that the existing policy discriminates cisgender female student athletes by allowing the participation of transgender female athletes. Haseebullah called that consistent rhetoric from 'conservatives right now attempting to weaponize civil rights protections in their favor.' Anderson also argued that Trump's executive order, which he referred to as federal law, supersedes state law. ___
Fox News
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Nevada schools ban trans athletes from girls sports in major reversal for state
The Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA) voted on Tuesday to adopt a new gender eligibility policy that bans trans athletes from girls sports. Now, only biological females can compete in the girls' category in the state. Nevada Lieutenant Gov. Stavros Anthony praised the decision in a statement. "I commend the NIAA for taking this important and courageous step," said Lieutenant Gov. Stavros Anthony. "Today's vote sends a clear message: Nevada values and protects opportunities for female athletes. Girls deserve a level playing field, and this action helps ensure they can compete, grow, and succeed without having to compromise safety or fairness." The change marks a reversal from the state's previous policy that enabled trans athletes to compete in girls and women's sports, which resulted in multiple controversial incidents of it happening in recent years. The state's constitution was revised in 2022, when Democrat lawmakers voted to adopt the Equal Rights Amendment, which added gender identity to its list of diversity classifications that are protected under state law. The law prompted a nationally publicized feud between the University of Nevada, Reno and its women's volleyball players in October. The players approached university administrators privately to express their desire to forfeit a match against San Jose State University, which rostered a trans athlete. But the university did not honor that request and instead released a statement insisting it would play the match. Nevada also insisted its players would be allowed to skip the contest without facing discipline. The team ultimately forfeited the day before the match was scheduled to be played, due to not having enough players. However, the university has said it had discussions with the players about potential "legal issues" that would emerge if the match were not played. "University administrators met with the Nevada volleyball team and discussed scenarios of what could happen if they chose not to play. One of the scenarios that was discussed revolved around possible legal issues for violating the Nevada Constitution," read a statement that was provided exclusively to Fox News Digital by the University of Nevada, Reno. The dispute between the players escalated into a national controversy that even garnered mainstream political attention in the weeks leading up to November's election. Meanwhile, at the youth level, a Nevada middle school girl, 13-year-old Ava Chavez, recounted an experience of having to face a trans athletes in a letter she handed to state lawmakers last week. "When the ball is on the other side of the net, they have a chance to swing, and we have a chance to block. This can be dangerous for us because if the blockers can't block the boy's hit, I could get dangerously hurt. This scares me because boys are naturally bigger, faster, stronger and have a higher vertical," a copy of the letter obtained by Fox News Digital read. Another girl, 17-year-old Kendall Lewis, has also experienced having to face a trans volleyball player due to the state's policies, she previously told Fox News Digital in an interview. Now, Nevada joins 26 other states in the U.S. that forbid trans athletes from competing in girls sports and is the latest to comply with President Donald Trump's executive order to address the issue. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
