The U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday that it was ramping up an investigation into California high school sports after a transgender girl qualified for three events at the upcoming state track and field championships.
The department said that a state law allowing transgender athletes to compete in girls’ sports could violate Title IX, a federal law that prohibits sex discrimination at educational institutions.
The move by the Justice Department was the latest example of the Trump administration using federal powers to pressure Democratic-led states on matters normally decided at the local level.
The announcement came one day after President Trump threatened to strip “large scale” federal funding from California if the state did not bar transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports. In particular, he said he wanted “local authorities” to block the transgender girl from participating in the track and field meet that begins Friday in Clovis, Calif., just outside of Fresno.
The Justice Department said Wednesday it had sent legal notices to the state attorney general, state superintendent of public instruction and the California Interscholastic Federation, a nongovernmental body that has regulated high school sports competition in the state for decades. The department said it was joining an ongoing U.S. Department of Education investigation into C.I.F. and had directed the U.S. attorney’s office in Southern California to review the state’s policies.
In the legal notices, Harmeet K. Dhillon, assistant attorney general for civil rights, called it “alarming news” that the track and field athlete was allowed to compete for girls state titles this week in the long jump, triple jump and high jump.
“Title IX exists to protect women and girls in education,” Ms. Dhillon said in a statement. “It is perverse to allow males to compete against girls, invade their private spaces, and take their trophies.”
A coalition of three organizations that support transgender rights — Equality California, TransFamily Support Services and Our Schools USA — rebuked the Trump administration on Tuesday over the president’s threat to withhold funding.
“For more than a decade, organizations like C.I.F. have upheld inclusive, evidence-based policies that ensure fairness for all athletes, regardless of their gender identity,” the coalition said in a statement. “Undermining that now for political gain is a transparent attempt to scapegoat a child and distract from real national challenges Americans are facing.”
C.I.F. announced on Tuesday that it was allowing additional female athletes into the state meet under a pilot program. The sports governing body on Wednesday announced that it was making additional changes to the competition by allowing an additional athlete to advance from the preliminary round to the finals in the girls’ high jump, triple jump or long jump “if necessary.”
The federation also indicated that medals will be awarded to the top nine “biological female” competitors, and that the transgender girl would get a duplicate medal if she is a top finisher. It was unclear whether the transgender competitor would be able to score team points or stand on the podium.
The changes seemed intended to ensure that girls would not lose a spot in the state track meet in events involving a transgender competitor.
Gov. Gavin Newsom of California was “encouraged by this thoughtful approach,” his spokesman said on Tuesday.
Mr. Newsom surprised fellow Democrats in March when he said on his podcast that it was “deeply unfair” for transgender athletes to participate in female sports. President Trump and Ms. Dhillon each referenced Mr. Newsom’s opinion in their comments this week.
Mr. Newsom’s remark was part of a conversation he had with Charlie Kirk, a conservative influencer, who had asked Mr. Newsom to speak out against the athlete who is competing at this week’s track meet. Mr. Newsom declined to focus on any particular athlete and said that he also empathized with the challenges that transgender students faced.
Last month, Mr. Newsom said that he had explored ways to balance competitive opportunities for transgender girls with the concerns about the effect on other competitors. But he fell short.
“I just couldn’t figure out how to, quote, unquote, make this fair,” he said.
The Justice Department said Wednesday that it was also supporting an earlier lawsuit filed on behalf of girls in California who say that state law is creating an unfair competitive environment. The plaintiffs, both high school athletes in Riverside, said they lost opportunities on their girls’ cross-country team because of a trans girl who was allowed to compete.
“The law is clear: Discrimination on the basis of sex is illegal and immoral,” said Bill Essayli, the U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, in a statement. “My office and the rest of the Department of Justice will work tirelessly to protect girls’ sports and stop anyone — public officials included — from violating women’s civil rights.”
Juliet Macur and Orlando Mayorquín contributed reporting.
Soumya Karlamangla is a Times reporter who covers California. She is based in the Bay Area.
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