Latest news with #SouthernSectionMasters
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
DOJ investigating California over transgender athletes law
The Justice Department on Wednesday said it is investigating whether a near-decade-old law in California violates federal laws against sex discrimination by allowing transgender student-athletes to participate in sports consistent with their gender identity. In a news release, the department said it had launched an inquiry into whether a 2013 state law, A.B. 1266, conflicts with Title IX, the landmark civil rights law prohibiting sex discrimination in education programs that receive government funding. President Trump and administration officials have argued the law bars transgender girls from competing on girls school sports teams. The Department of Justice (DOJ) said Wednesday it had sent letters of legal notice to California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D), state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), which governs high school sports in the state and the Jurupa Unified School District, where a 16-year-old transgender track-and-field athlete has for months been the target of protests. Representatives for Bonta, the CIF and the Jurupa Unified School District did not immediately return a request for comment. A spokesperson for the state Department of Education said it cannot comment on a pending investigation. The inquiry, the DOJ said, will establish 'whether California, its senior legal, educational, and athletic organizations, and the school district are engaging in a pattern or practice of discrimination on the basis of sex.' '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 Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet K. Dhillon. 'This Division will aggressively defend women's hard-fought rights to equal educational opportunities.' DOJ's announcement comes one day after Trump publicly threatened to withhold federal funding from California if it continued allowing transgender girls to play on girls sports teams in defiance of his February executive order proclaiming the government opposes 'male competitive participation in women's sports.' In a post on Truth Social Tuesday morning, Trump railed against AB Hernandez, a junior at Jurupa Valley High School in Southern California who qualified for three state championship events at the CIF's Southern Section Masters meet on May 24. 'THIS IS NOT FAIR, AND TOTALLY DEMEANING TO WOMEN AND GIRLS,' Trump wrote in the post, which does not refer to Hernandez by name. He ordered local authorities to block the student from competing in the state finals this weekend and said he planned to speak with California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) about the issue, which he made central to his campaign's closing arguments last year. A spokesperson for Newsom said the governor received a call Tuesday afternoon from Trump but could not take it because he was attending another event. 'He hopes to speak with him soon,' the spokesperson said. They declined to comment on DOJ's investigation. Newsom, a likely contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination, has voiced some openness to limiting transgender athletes' participation in the state. He said in the debut episode of his podcast, 'This is Gavin Newsom,' in March that he believes transgender girls in girls sports are 'deeply unfair.' The following month, speaking to reporters in Modesto, Calif., Newsom said he would be 'open' to a conversation about eligibility restrictions for transgender student-athletes if it were conducted 'in a way that's respectful and responsible and could find a kind of balance.' Newsom's office said the governor was 'encouraged' by a new CIF policy announced Tuesday that would allow more girls to compete in the state's high school track-and-field championships this month. In a news release, CIF said that it was changing its competition rules to extend entry to 'any biological female student-athlete' who would have 'earned the next qualifying mark' in the high jump, long jump and triple jump — events in which Hernandez qualified — for the state championships in Clovis, Calif., on May 30 – 31. 'The CIF believes this pilot entry process achieves the participation opportunities we seek to afford our student-athletes,' the group said. A spokesperson for the organization did not return a request for clarification about whether the policy change applies to all events or only to ones where a transgender girl qualified. 'CIF's proposed pilot is a reasonable, respectful way to navigate a complex issue without compromising competitive fairness — a model worth pursuing,' said Izzy Gardon, Newsom's communications director. Tuesday's announcement from the DOJ also comes as the department submitted a statement of interest in a lawsuit challenging AB 1266, signed by former California Gov. Jerry Brown (D). Two teenage girls and their families sued California officials and their local school district last year after they were reprimanded for wearing shirts to school that read 'Save Girls' Sports' and 'It's Common Sense. XX ≠ XY' to protest the state's inclusion of transgender athletes. The girls, who compete for their schools' girls cross-country team and are represented by Advocates for Faith & Freedom, amended their complaint in January to challenge the law itself. 'At the core of the Title IX regulations is an abiding interest in creating opportunities for women and girls to enjoy equal athletic opportunities on a level playing,' the Justice Department wrote in its statement to the court on Wednesday. 'Allowing a biological male-transgender female to compete on a girls' cross-country team upsets that level playing field and interferes with the opportunity for girls to compete in a sport where mere seconds can mean the difference between wins and losses.' Roughly half the country prohibits transgender athletes from competing on school sports teams that match their gender identity, though court rulings have blocked enforcement of laws in Montana, Idaho, Utah, Arizona and West Virginia. New transgender girls in New Hampshire expanded their legal challenge to the state's restrictions on trans athletes in February to include the Trump administration. —Updated at 4:48 p.m. EDT Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
California adjusts high school sports rules after Trump threats over trans athletes
The California Interscholastic Federation, a state organization that oversees high school sports, announced a change Tuesday that aims to ensure all student-athletes have the ability to compete. The new process would allow 'any biological female student-athlete who would have earned the next qualifying mark for one of their Section's automatic qualifying entries in the CIF State meet, and did not achieve the CIF State at-large mark in the finals at their Section meet,' to compete in the 2025 CIF State Track and Field Championships. 'The CIF values all of our student-athletes and we will continue to uphold our mission of providing students with the opportunity to belong, connect, and compete while complying with California law and Education Code,' the organization said in a statement. Trump threatens California funding over transgender high school athlete 'CIF's proposed pilot is a reasonable, respectful way to navigate a complex issue without compromising competitive fairness — a model worth pursuing,' Izzy Gardon, a spokesperson for the Gov. Gaviin Newsom, said in a statement. 'The governor is encouraged by this thoughtful approach.' The change was announced hours after President Donald Trump threatened to pull federal funding from California over a transgender high school track and field athlete who qualified over the weekend for the state finals. Officials said they agreed to implement this pilot program after the conclusion of the CIF Section's Track and Field qualifying meets this past weekend. In a post on Truth Social, Trump railed against 16-year-old AB Hernandez, a junior at Jurupa Valley High School, who won the girls' long jump and triple jump events at the California Interscholastic Federation's Southern Section Masters on May 24, qualifying for the state championships that will take place May 30 – 31, The Hill reported. In February, Trump signed an executive order that states that 'it is the policy of the United States to oppose male competitive participation in women's sports' and threatens to 'rescind all funds from educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities.' California is one of 22 states that have laws requiring transgender students to participate in sports consistent with their gender identity. The law was signed by former Gov. Jerry Brown in 2013. According to Newsom's office, out of the 5.8 million students in the state's K-12 public school system, the number of active transgender student-athletes is estimated to be in the single digits. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
DOJ launches Title IX investigation into trans athletes in California girls' sports
The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Wednesday that it is opening an investigation into whether Title IX, a federal civil rights law, is being violated by AB 1266, a California law that permits transgender females to participate in female sports teams at state schools. Letters were sent to California Attorney General Rob Bonta, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, and the California Interscholastic Federation, a state organization that oversees high school sports, the department announced. 'The investigation is to determine whether California, its senior legal, educational, and athletic organizations, and the school district are engaging in a pattern or practice of discrimination on the basis of sex,' a news release stated. This announcement comes one day after President Donald Trump threatened to pull federal funding from California over a transgender high school track and field athlete who qualified over the weekend for the state finals. Mother of girl, 4, receiving treatment in L.A. speaks out against life-threatening deportation to Mexico In a post on Truth Social, Trump railed against 16-year-old AB Hernandez, a junior at Jurupa Valley High School, who won the girls' long jump and triple jump events at the California Interscholastic Federation's Southern Section Masters on May 24, qualifying for the state championships that will take place May 30 – 31, The Hill reported. Hours after Trump's announcement, the CIF announced a change aimed at ensuring all student-athletes have the ability to compete. The new process would allow 'any biological female student-athlete who would have earned the next qualifying mark for one of their Section's automatic qualifying entries in the CIF State meet, and did not achieve the CIF State at-large mark in the finals at their Section meet,' to compete in the 2025 CIF State Track and Field Championships. 'The CIF values all of our student-athletes and we will continue to uphold our mission of providing students with the opportunity to belong, connect, and compete while complying with California law and Education Code,' the organization said in a statement. In February, Trump signed an executive order that states that 'it is the policy of the United States to oppose male competitive participation in women's sports' and threatens to 'rescind all funds from educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities.' California is one of 22 states that have laws requiring transgender students to participate in sports consistent with their gender identity. The law was signed by former Gov. Jerry Brown in 2013. According to Newsom's office, out of the 5.8 million students in the state's K-12 public school system, the number of active transgender student-athletes is estimated to be in the single digits. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
DOJ investigating California over transgender athletes law
The Justice Department on Wednesday said it is investigating whether a near-decade-old law in California violates federal laws against sex discrimination by allowing transgender student-athletes to participate in sports consistent with their gender identity. In a news release, the department said it had launched an inquiry into whether a 2013 state law, A.B. 1266, conflicts with Title IX, the landmark civil rights law prohibiting sex discrimination in education programs that receive government funding. President Trump and administration officials have argued the law bars transgender girls from competing on girls' school sports teams. The Department of Justice (DOJ) said Wednesday that it had sent letters of legal notice to California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D), State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), which governs high school sports in the state and the Jurupa Unified School District, where a 16-year-old transgender track-and-field athlete has for months been the target of protests. Representatives for Bonta, CIF and the Jurupa Unified School District did not immediately return a request for comment. A spokesperson for the state education department said it cannot comment on a pending investigation. The inquiry, DOJ said, will establish 'whether California, its senior legal, educational, and athletic organizations, and the school district are engaging in a pattern or practice of discrimination on the basis of sex.' '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 Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet K. Dhillon. 'This Division will aggressively defend women's hard-fought rights to equal educational opportunities.' DOJ's announcement comes one day after Trump publicly threatened to withhold federal funding from California if it continued allowing transgender girls to play on girls' sports teams in defiance of his February executive order proclaiming the government opposes 'male competitive participation in women's sports.' In a post on Truth Social Tuesday morning, Trump railed against AB Hernandez, a junior at Jurupa Valley High School in Southern California who qualified for three state championship events at the CIF's Southern Section Masters meet on May 24. 'THIS IS NOT FAIR, AND TOTALLY DEMEANING TO WOMEN AND GIRLS,' Trump wrote in the post, which does not refer to Hernandez by name. He ordered local authorities to block the student from competing in the state finals this weekend and said he planned to speak with California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) about the issue, which he made central to his campaign's closing arguments last year. A spokesperson for Newsom said the governor received a call Tuesday afternoon from Trump but could not take it because he was attending another event. 'He hopes to speak with him soon,' the spokesperson said. They declined to comment on DOJ's investigation. Newsom, a likely contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination, has voiced some openness to limiting transgender athletes' participation in the state. He said in the debut episode of his podcast, 'This is Gavin Newsom,' in March that he believes transgender girls in girls' sports are 'deeply unfair.' The following month, speaking to reporters in Modesto, Calif., Newsom said he would be 'open' to a conversation about eligibility restrictions for transgender student-athletes if it were conducted 'in a way that's respectful and responsible and could find a kind of balance.' Newsom's office said the governor was 'encouraged' by a new CIF policy announced Tuesday that would allow more girls to compete in the state's high school track-and-field championships this month. In a news release, CIF said it decided over the weekend to temporarily alter its competition rules to extend entry to 'any biological female student-athlete' who would have 'earned the next qualifying mark' in their event for the state finals in Clovis on May 30–31. 'The CIF believes this pilot entry process achieves the participation opportunities we seek to afford our student-athletes,' the group said. A spokesperson for the organization did not return a request for clarification about whether the policy change applies to all events or only to ones where a transgender girl qualified. 'CIF's proposed pilot is a reasonable, respectful way to navigate a complex issue without compromising competitive fairness — a model worth pursuing,' said Izzy Gardon, Newsom's communications director. Tuesday's announcement from DOJ also comes as the department submitted a statement of interest in a lawsuit challenging AB 1266, signed by former California Gov. Jerry Brown (D). Two teenage girls and their families sued California officials and their local school district last year after they were reprimanded for wearing shirts to school that read 'Save Girls' Sports' and 'It's Common Sense. XX ≠ XY' to protest the state's inclusion of transgender athletes. The girls, who compete for their schools' girls' cross-country team and are represented by Advocates for Faith & Freedom, amended their complaint in January to challenge the law itself. 'At the core of the Title IX regulations is an abiding interest in creating opportunities for women and girls to enjoy equal athletic opportunities on a level playing,' the Justice Department wrote in its statement to the court on Wednesday. 'Allowing a biological male-transgender female to compete on a girls' cross-country team upsets that level playing field and interferes with the opportunity for girls to compete in a sport where mere seconds can mean the difference between wins and losses.' Roughly half the country prohibits transgender athletes from competing on school sports teams that match their gender identity, though court rulings have blocked enforcement of laws in Montana, Idaho, Utah, Arizona and West Virginia. New transgender girls in New Hampshire expanded their legal challenge to the state's restrictions on trans athletes in February to include the Trump administration.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Newsom should not ‘bend the knee' to Trump on transgender athletes: Khanna
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) warned during a recent interview that California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) should be wary of making deals with President Trump amid the administration's threats to pull federal funding if the state does not bar transgender athletes from competing in women's sports. 'We should not bend the knee to Donald Trump,' Khanna told CNN's Manu Raju on Tuesday. 'Look, this is a pattern of threatening states, threatening institutions.' 'The real issue here is less about transgender athletes and more about Donald Trump acting like he can threaten any state, any institution in this country that he disagrees with — and it is a total violation of federalism and the Constitution,' he added. Trump threatened to revoke California's education funding Tuesday after a transgender high school track and field athlete qualified over the weekend for the state championship meet. The president blasted Newsom, a potential candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028, over the issue with a pejorative nickname in a Truth Social post on Tuesday. 'California, under the leadership of Radical Left Democrat Gavin Newscum, continues to ILLEGALLY allow 'MEN TO PLAY IN WOMEN'S SPORTS,'' he wrote. 'THIS IS NOT FAIR, AND TOTALLY DEMEANING TO WOMEN AND GIRLS.' AB Hernandez, a 16-year-old junior at Jurupa Valley High School in Southern California, won the girls long jump and triple jump at the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF)'s Southern Section Masters meet Saturday, qualifying for the state championships later this week. Trump signed an executive order in February opposing 'male competitive participation in women's sports.' It stated that 'educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities' would risk losing federal funds. 'Please be hereby advised that large scale Federal Funding will be held back, maybe permanently, if the Executive Order on this subject matter is not adhered to,' the president wrote in his Tuesday post about California. 'In the meantime 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!!!' he added. Trump said he planned to speak to Newsom directly about the issue later in the day. Newsom and Trump didn't have a chance to speak Tuesday because of conflicting schedules, according to the governor's office. The White House didn't immediately respond to The Hill's request for comment. Newsom has previously signaled he's open to exploring regulations on transgender athletes 'in a way that's respectful and responsible and could find a kind of balance.' He also said on his podcast in March that he thinks transgender athletes participating in girls and women's sports is 'deeply unfair.' Some Democrat-led states, including Maine, have openly rejected Trump's order, arguing that it violates anti-discrimination laws. The CIF, which governs high school sports in the Golden State, previously cited a 2013 state law in defending its decision to continue to allow transgender athletes to compete based on their gender identity. The federation announced Tuesday that it is testing a new entry process to allow 'any biological female student-athlete who would have earned the next qualifying mark for one of their Section's automatic qualifying entries in the CIF State meet, and did not achieve the CIF State at-large mark in the finals at their Section meet' to still compete at the state level. 'The CIF believes this pilot entry process achieves the participation opportunities we seek to afford our student-athletes,' the organization said in a statement. Updated at 10:30 a.m. EDT. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
