A significant legal battle just began in the United States. The government under Republican Donald Trump took California to court this past Wednesday. They sued over California allowing transgender athletes on high school girls’ sports teams. This decision could put billions of dollars in federal education funding at risk for California.
The US Justice Department filed the lawsuit. They argue California is breaking a federal law from 1972. This law, called Title IX, stops discrimination based on sex in school programs that get federal money. The lawsuit claims California’s Department of Education and its Interscholastic Federation are illegally discriminating. They say girl athletes are losing fair chances in school and sports.
The Justice Department also warned California could lose all current and future federal aid. They might face other penalties too. California’s education department gets about $44.3 billion for the 2025 fiscal year. This is a huge sum now in question because of the lawsuit.
California’s Governor, Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, has shared concerns about letting transgender athletes compete on girls’ teams. Pam Bondi, referred to in the lawsuit as a US Attorney General, agreed. She called it “deeply unfair” and illegal for women and girls to compete against boys and men in competitive sports. Linda McMahon, identified as the US Education Secretary, spoke to Fox News. She said the lawsuit honors a promise Trump made during his campaign. That promise was to “keep men out of women’s sports.”
