The California Department of Education (CDE) on Monday rejected the Trump administration’s demands to keep men out of women’s sports.
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) in June announced it found California in violation of federal civil rights for allowing men to compete in women’s sports and access women’s spaces, such as locker rooms and restrooms. CDE apparently notified ED it would not be complying with the Trump administration’s proposed resolution, Education Secretary Linda McMahon announced on X.
The California department said it “respectfully disagrees” with the Office of Civil Rights’ (OCR) findings and added “it will not sign the Proposed Resolution Agreement,” according to the email posted by McMahon. The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), which was also found in violation of the same law, told ED it “concurs” with CDE’s response.
California has just REJECTED our resolution agreement to follow federal law and keep men out of women’s sports.
Turns out Gov. Newsom’s acknowledgment that “it’s an issue of fairness” was empty political grandstanding.@CAgovernor, you’ll be hearing from @AGPamBondi. pic.twitter.com/wa945HtmG6
— Secretary Linda McMahon (@EDSecMcMahon) July 7, 2025
“California has just REJECTED our resolution agreement to follow federal law and keep men out of women’s sports,” McMahon wrote in the X post. “Turns out [Democratic California] Gov. [Gavin] Newsom’s acknowledgment that ‘it’s an issue of fairness’ was empty political grandstanding.”
McMahon warned Newsom that the state will not be referred to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
CDE did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment. CIF declined to comment.
Some Republicans in Congress, such as Republican North Carolina Rep. Mark Harris, a member of the House Education Committee, are also calling for the state to lose its federal funding.
“If California wants to purposely endanger female athletes, then it shouldn’t get federal funding,” Harris said on X in response to the news.
If California wants to purposely endanger female athletes, then it shouldn’t get federal funding. https://t.co/VGuZlYf85n
— Rep. Mark Harris (@RepMarkHarrisNC) July 7, 2025
Despite being a long time advocate for transgenderism, Newsom admitted in March that men competing against women in sports was “deeply unfair.” California education code still permits athletes to compete based on “his or her gender identity.” (RELATED: Trump Admin Probing California Law Allowing Schools To Hide Students’ Gender Identity From Parents)
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.
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