President Donald Trump’s Justice Department has filed a major lawsuit against California for allowing biological males to compete in girls’ sports, accusing the state of violating Title IX and stripping young women of fair opportunities in athletics. The DOJ’s Civil Rights Division claims the California Department of Education and the California Interscholastic Federation illegally displaced female athletes, denied them awards, and blocked scholarship visibility by forcing them to compete against male athletes who identify as female.

“This discrimination is not only illegal and unfair but also demeaning, signaling to girls that their opportunities and achievements are secondary to accommodating boys,” the complaint states. It argues that the policy erodes the integrity of girls’ sports, undermines the purpose of Title IX, and robs young women of a level playing field.

Attorney General Pam Bondi, leading the lawsuit, emphasized that protecting women’s sports is a matter of law and fairness. “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,” Bondi said, adding that the DOJ will continue to fight for women’s rights in athletics.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, demands the state compensate female athletes denied opportunities, correct past athletic records, and comply with Title IX as a condition of receiving federal funding. California currently receives over $44 billion in federal education funds.

This legal battle escalated after California rejected a proposed Department of Education resolution designed to bring the state into compliance. The conflict stems from a Trump executive order signed on February 5, titled “Keeping Men out of Women’s Sports,” which clarified that under Title IX, schools receiving federal funds cannot deny women equal athletic opportunities by allowing biological males to compete in female categories.

Governor Gavin Newsom’s spokesperson responded by dismissing the DOJ’s stance, claiming California is following its own laws allowing athletes to play based on gender identity rather than biological sex. The spokesperson also attempted to frame the lawsuit as a distraction from what they allege is Trump’s defunding of education.

Despite the pushback, Trump’s administration remains firm in its position that including biological males in women’s sports undermines safety, fairness, and dignity for female athletes. The DOJ’s complaint highlights how the policy is hurting real girls, noting that it leads to missed scholarship opportunities, unfair losses, and discouragement for female competitors forced to compete against physically advantaged male athletes.

The California Interscholastic Federation and the state’s Department of Education declined to comment on the pending litigation, but the lawsuit signals that the Trump administration is prepared to leverage federal funding to enforce Title IX protections and preserve the integrity of women’s sports nationwide.

The case, United States v. California Interscholastic Federation, No. 8:25-cv-1485, may become a landmark in defining the rights of female athletes under federal law and is expected to fuel a national debate on whether state policies can override Title IX’s original intent to protect women in education and athletics.