Trump admin official threatens legal action against California schools over transgender athlete policies
WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump’s team is legally challenging California schools over the participation of trans athletes.
On Monday, June 2, the Department of Justice fired off a stern warning to public schools across the state, declaring that it’s unconstitutional to let trans students compete in high school sports—and giving them just one week to get in line.
A letter from Harmeet K Dhillon, assistant attorney general for civil rights, slammed the California Interscholastic Federation’s 2013 bylaw, calling it a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution.
“Scientific evidence shows that upsetting the historical status quo and forcing girls to compete against males would deprive them of athletic opportunities and benefits because of their sex,” Dhillon wrote, pointedly referring to trans girls as “males."
Meanwhile, Elizabeth Sanders, spokeswoman for the California Department of Education, said the department was preparing to send out guidance on how districts should respond and promised it would land by Tuesday, the New York Times reported.
Trans track athlete AB Hernandez sparks nationwide backlash
The DOJ's move came hot on the heels of a headline-grabbing victory by trans high school athlete AB Hernandez, who racked up two championships at the California state track and field meet just two days earlier.
Representing Jurupa Valley High School, Hernandez clinched wins in both the girls’ high jump and triple jump, and came in second in the long jump—all in one of the most competitive high school sports meets in the country held over two days in Clovis, California.
In a statement through TransFamily Support Services, Hernandez’s mom, Nereyda Hernandez, shared that it was her daughter’s third year competing in sports.
Despite the win, Trump blasted Hernandez's inclusion in the meet, saying he would cut federal funding to the state if officials allowed her to compete.
That pressure seemed to have immediate ripple effects.
A podium makeover amid pressure from DOJ
Facing Donald Trump’s threats, the California Interscholastic Federation quickly modified its rulebook in a way that didn’t ban Hernandez outright but definitely changed the game.
Under the new rule, the athlete who finished directly behind Hernandez would now be elevated to share her placement, even if they technically came in behind her.
At the state meet, Hernandez shared the spotlight with athletes she’d out-jumped.
Just two days before the meeting, the DOJ announced it had sent legal notices to the CIF, the state attorney general, and the state superintendent of public instruction, saying it was jumping into an already ongoing Department of Education investigation into California’s trans sports policy.
They also confirmed that the US attorney’s office in Southern California was now reviewing the state’s stance.
Donald Trump declares women's sports 'will be only for women'
In February, Trump signed an executive order demanding that schools ban trans girls and women from competing in women’s sports—or risk losing federal funds.
“From now on, women’s sports will be only for women,” Trump said while signing the order.
But not every state is backing down. California, Maine, and Minnesota have refused to comply thus far.
Trump’s DOJ has already sued Maine, warning that the same could soon happen to California and Minnesota. In fact, Minnesota just filed a preemptive lawsuit last month, challenging Trump’s trans athlete ban before they could be hit with one themselves.
That said, despite all the chaos behind the scenes, the California state meet went down without a hitch.
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