The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against the California Department of Education (CDE) for refusing to keep men out of women’s sports and protect women’s spaces.
CDE and the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), who is also targeted in the lawsuit, told the U.S. Department of Education (ED) on Monday that it will not be complying with the administration’s demands to enforce Title IX, a civil rights rule meant to protect women from discrimination. The DOJ said the lawsuit is meant to “protect California female student athletes from unfair competition and reckless endangerment by male participation on female high-school sports teams,” according to its press release.
The lawsuit claims that CDE and CIF’s actions have displaced female athletes by allowing men in their places and have “engaged in retaliation against girl student athletes who objected to the inclusion of males in their spaces.”
Despite California’s Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom admitting that men competing against women is “deeply unfair,” the state has remained committed to pursuing gender ideology at the expense of women. California education code still permits athletes to compete based on “his or her gender identity.”
“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 Pamela Bondi said in the press release. “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.”
California officials are failing to protect girls on the playing field and in the locker room. The Department of Justice has filed suit. pic.twitter.com/op2UVREx0c
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) July 9, 2025
CIF did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment. CDE declined to comment.
After receiving CDE and CIF’s notification that they do not intend to comply with the federal government, Education Secretary Linda McMahon on Monday warned the state that it would be hearing from the DOJ. (RELATED: California Ready To Rumble With Trump To Keep Men In Women’s Sports)
“California has just REJECTED our resolution agreement to follow federal law and keep men out of women’s sports,” McMahon said at the time. “Turns out Gov. Newsom’s acknowledgment that “it’s an issue of fairness” was empty political grandstanding.”
ED’s proposed resolution asked the state to stop allowing men to compete in women’s sports and use their spaces, restore any female records that were overwritten by men and apologize to the women negatively impacted by the state’s policies. CDE said it “respectfully disagrees” with ED’s findings that the state violated civil rights and added “it will not sign the Proposed Resolution Agreement,” to which CIF concurred.
“Title IX was enacted over half a century ago to protect women and girls from discrimination. The Justice Department will not stand for policies that deprive girls of their hard-earned athletic trophies and ignore their safety on the field and in private spaces,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said. “Young women should not have to sacrifice their rights to compete for scholarships, opportunities, and awards on the altar of woke gender ideology.”
Title IX under the Biden administration twisted protections meant for women to include anyone who claimed to identify as a woman. President Donald Trump has since set to reverse the rule change, signing executive orders codifying the biological definition of men and women and protecting women’s sports from gender ideology. Former president Joe Biden’s rule change attempt had already been blocked by several courts and eventually withdrawn by the administration just before Trump took office.
“California is on the wrong side of the law and the wrong side of history,” California District Attorney Bill Essayli said. “Women deserve dignity, respect, and an equal opportunity to compete on their own sports teams. The time for talk is over. California must comply with Title IX and end its civil rights violations against women. No person, no state, is above the law.”
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