A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice that challenged California's policy permitting biological males who identify as female to compete in girls' sports. U.S. District Judge Cynthia Valenzuela's decision, made public Tuesday, was based on administrative funding rules, not the underlying debate over competitive fairness.
The court found that the federal government failed to provide California with explicit prior notice before threatening to withhold $44 billion in education funds. The Department of Justice confirmed it is reviewing the court's order and remains committed to its agenda of preventing boys from competing in girls' sports.
The lawsuit was initiated by the Trump administration's Justice Department, which sought to enforce Title IX's protections for female athletes. Title IX, enacted in 1972, aims to guarantee equal athletic opportunities for women.
California has allowed transgender girls to compete on girls' sports teams under a policy established in 2013 by the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) and state lawmakers. This policy has drawn controversy, particularly in recent years with the case of AB Hernandez, a transgender athlete from Jurupa Valley High School. Hernandez captured four state titles in track and field across the 2025 and 2026 CIF State Championships, securing consecutive victories in the high jump and triple jump, and a third-place finish in the long jump in 2026.
The competitive disparity has led to situations where CIF created duplicate medals for female athletes who were displaced from higher podium positions. In volleyball, rival high schools have chosen to forfeit matches rather than have their female players compete against transgender athletes.
Jennifer Sey, founder and CEO of XX-XY Athletics, has been a vocal advocate against biological males competing in girls' sports, arguing it undermines fair competition. She supports national and state legislation to uphold the original intent of Title IX.
The judge's ruling allows California's policy to remain in effect while the DOJ considers an appeal. The decision comes after the Supreme Court upheld states' authority to ban transgender athletes from participating in girls' and women's sports, though the court did not mandate such restrictions for all states.