This Teen Athlete Sparked A Federal Investigation Into CA Girls’ Sports: What's At Stake

CALIFORNIA — A federal prosecutor from California has launched a Title IX investigation into whether the Golden State's laws and school athletics policies are violating the civil rights of female student-athletes by allowing transgender girls — individuals assigned male at birth — to compete in girls' sports.

U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, a former state assemblyman who represented northwest Riverside County, announced Wednesday that the Department of Justice will investigate California’s compliance with Title IX following backlash over the success of Jurupa Valley High School junior AB Hernandez, a transgender athlete competing in the state track championships.

Legal notices were sent to the state's Attorney General Rob Bonta, State Superintendent Tony Thurmond, and officials with the California Interscholastic Federation, according to Essayli's office.

READ MORE: CA Changes Rules As Trans Athlete Makes CIF Finals Amid Trump Threats

"The law is clear: discrimination on the basis of sex is illegal and immoral," said Essayli, who was recently appointed by Trump. "My office and the rest of the U.S. Department of Justice will work tirelessly to protect girls' sports and stop anyone — public officials included — from violating women's civil rights."

Title IX prohibits sex-based discrimination in federally funded educational institutions. DOJ officials, including Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet K. Dhillon, argue that allowing transgender athletes to participate in girls' sports undermines fairness and violates the rights of biological female athletes.

"Title IX exists to protect women and girls in education. It is perverse to allow males to compete against girls, invade their private spaces, and take their trophies," Harmeet K. Dhillon, assistant attorney general for civil rights, said in a statement. "This division will aggressively defend women's hard-fought rights to equal educational opportunities."

The DOJ has also filed a "statement of interest" in a separate federal lawsuit brought by Advocates for Faith & Freedom on behalf of two female athletes at Riverside’s King High School. The plaintiffs — identified only as “K.S.” and “T.S.” — allege that they were disciplined for wearing T-shirts bearing slogans such as “Save Girls’ Sports” and “It’s Common Sense — XX ≠ XY.” According to the complaint, T.S. was removed from her varsity team to make room for a transgender athlete who had not met team standards, thereby missing out on college recruitment opportunities.

The plaintiffs argue that their First and Fourteenth Amendment rights were violated and that the district failed to comply with Title IX by giving priority to a transgender student who they claim displaced other female athletes.

The focus of these disputes centers around AB Hernandez, a junior at Jurupa Valley High School and the only openly transgender athlete competing in this weekend’s CIF State Track and Field Championships.

Hernandez, who is ranked No. 1 in the triple jump and No. 2 in the long jump statewide, has already secured multiple titles this season, including the CIF Southern Section Division 3 and Mt. SAC Relays.

Hernandez’s participation has ignited intense national controversy — fueled in part by former President Donald Trump, who on Tuesday threatened to withhold federal funding from California if transgender athletes are allowed to compete in girls’ events. On his Truth Social platform, Trump blasted state leaders, calling the situation “totally ridiculous,” and ordered local authorities to bar Hernandez from participating in the state finals.

"As a male, he was a less than average competitor. As a female, this transitioned person is practically unbeatable. THIS IS NOT FAIR, AND TOTALLY DEMEANING TO WOMEN AND GIRLS," Trump wrote.

The California Interscholastic Federation stepped in on Tuesday by modifying entry rules for the state meet. Under a new "pilot entry process" announced Tuesday, any biological female athlete who was edged out of a qualifying spot by another competitor — including transgender athletes — was offered a wildcard opportunity to compete.

“The CIF believes this pilot entry process achieves the participation opportunities we seek to afford our student-athletes,” the organization said in a statement, without directly referencing transgender athletes.

Gov. Gavin Newsom's office supported the CIF’s action, calling it “a reasonable, respectful way to navigate a complex issue without compromising competitive fairness.”

While Newsom has largely stood by California's inclusive athletic policies, he has previously acknowledged the fairness debate, saying in a podcast episode, “It is an issue of fairness. I completely agree… It’s deeply unfair.”

Former California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a law in 2013 allowing students to participate in sex-segregated school programs, including on sports teams, and use bathrooms and other facilities that align with their gender identity.

A Republican-led effort to block that law failed recently in the Democratic-dominated Legislature. Another proposal that also failed would have required the federation to ban students whose sex was assigned male at birth from participating on a girls school sports team.

The DOJ’s investigation and the broader legal and political battles point to a continuing federal-state conflict over gender identity policies in schools. Similar disputes have arisen in other states, with Trump threatening funding cuts in Maine earlier this year over a comparable issue involving transgender student rights — a standoff that was only recently resolved.

As the CIF State Championships move forward this weekend at Buchanan High School in Clovis, the spotlight remains fixed on California's handling of one of the most contentious debates in modern sports and civil rights law.

City News Service contributed to this report.