Trump administration sues California over transgender athlete policies

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump s administration sued the California Department of Development on Wednesday for allowing transgender girls to compete on girls sports teams alleging the procedures violates federal law The move escalates an ongoing battle between the Republican administration in Washington and Democratic-led California over trans athletes competing in girls and women s sports Related Articles California rejects Trump administration proposal on transgender athletes Caitlyn Jenner s tragic history with traffic fatalities and ATVs An Iowa law rolling back trans civil rights protections in the state has taken effect Here s what to know S F Judge orders restoration of community medical records removed by Trump policies Supreme Court will take up a new matter about which school sports teams transgender students can join The lawsuit filed by the Justice Department says California s transgender athlete policies violate Title IX the federal law that bans discrimination in tuition based on sex The department says California s rules are not only illegal and unfair but also demeaning signaling to girls that their opportunities and achievements are secondary to accommodating boys These discriminatory policies and practices ignore undeniable biological differences between boys and girls in favor of an amorphous gender identity the lawsuit says The results of these illegal policies are stark girls are displaced from podiums denied awards and miss out on critical visibility for college scholarships and recognition California has a more than decade-old law on the books that allows students to participate in sex-segregated school programs including on sports teams and use bathrooms and other facilities that align with their gender identity Trump criticized the participation of a transgender high school student-athlete who won titles in the California track-and-field championships last month Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon wrote in a letter after the meet that the sports body running the final violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution by allowing trans girls to compete against other female athletes The federal Schooling Department earlier this year launched an examination into California s policies allowing athletes to compete on sports teams consistent with their gender identity The agency disclosed last month that the policies violate Title IX and it gave the state days to agree to change them But the state this week refused Trump also sparred with Maine s Democratic governor over the state s transgender-athlete policies Gov Janet Mills recounted the president in February We ll see you in court over his threats to pull funding to the state over the issue His administration filed a lawsuit in April alleging Maine violated Title IX by allowing trans girls and women to compete against other female athletes Meantime on his podcast in March Gov Gavin Newsom D-Calif angered various party allies when he questioned the fairness of trans girls competing in girls sports GOP critics have called on the governor to back a ban saying his remarks do not square with his actions The issue is part of a nationwide battle over the rights of transgender youth in which states have limited transgender girls from participating on girls sports teams barred gender-affirming surgeries for minors and required parents to be notified if a child changes their pronouns at school More than two dozen states have laws barring transgender women and girls from participating in certain sports competitions A few of the policies have been blocked in court Trump signed an executive order in February aimed at barring trans girls and women from participating on sports teams consistent with their gender identity Proponents of a ban including the conservative California Family Council say it would restore fairness in athletic competitions But opponents including the LGBTQ advocacy group Equality California say bans are an attack on transgender youth