By SDCN Staff
Washington, D.C.–The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday against the California Department of Education (CDE) and the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), alleging violations of Title IX stemming from policies that allow “male students to compete on female high school sports teams.”
The lawsuit accuses state education officials of engaging in “unlawful sex discrimination by permitting male athletes to compete against female student-athletes, allegedly depriving girls of equal athletic and educational opportunities guaranteed under federal civil rights law.”
“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,” said U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “But not only is it ‘deeply unfair,’ it is also illegal under federal law.”
The complaint seeks declaratory and injunctive relief, as well as damages, to enforce Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in any federally funded education program or activity. According to the suit, the U.S. Department of Education’s funding allocation to the CDE for fiscal year 2025 totals approximately $44.3 billion, with $3.8 billion still available for disbursement.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon emphasized the department’s commitment to upholding civil rights protections for young women.
“Title IX was enacted over 50 years ago to protect women and girls from discrimination,” Dhillon said. “We will not stand for policies that rob girls of fair competition, athletic recognition, and safety in their sporting environments.”
The lawsuit further argues that the CDE exercises authority over CIF and local school districts’ athletic policies. CIF, in turn, governs interscholastic sports for over 1.8 million students statewide, including approximately 750,000 high school athletes.
“California is on the wrong side of the law and the wrong side of history,” said U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli of the Central District of California. “Women deserve dignity, respect, and an equal opportunity to compete on their own sports teams. The time for talk is over.”
As the legal battle unfolds, California education and athletic officials have yet to issue a formal response to the Justice Department’s complaint.
