California’s Largest High School District Declares Girls’ Sports Are For Females Only

California's largest high school district has voted to adopt a Title IX resolution that defines girls' sports as female-only. This decision directly opposes the current policies of the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), which continue to allow trans-identifying male athletes to compete against girls.

The Kern High School District (KHSD), which serves more than 40,000 students across the greater Bakersfield area, became the 16th district in the state to reject the CIF’s interpretation of California law and instead support a biologically-based definition of sex.

The board voted 3-2 on Monday to adopt the resolution, which states that girls' sports should be reserved for female students only.

People hold ‘Save Girls Sports’ signs in protest of a transgender athlete competing in girls' events at the Jurupa Valley during the CIF State Track and Field Championships.

(Photo by Kirby Lee/Getty Images)

Sonja Shaw, president of Chino Valley Unified School District, which passed a similar measure earlier this year, praised Kern’s move. 

"I authored this resolution to be the voice of our communities — to stand with our girls and protect the truth that should’ve never been silenced," Shaw said. "Boys are boys. Girls are girls. God made them beautiful just the way they are. It’s time to put fairness, truth and common sense back into education."

KHSD trustee Derek Tisinger, who introduced the resolution, told KGET the move was intended to send a message to Sacramento and Washington.

"It’s the community. An idea of what this governing board supports going forward and hopefully forces our federal and state governments to listen to us and do what we think is right," Tisinger said.

The vote comes as the state faces a federal lawsuit from the Trump Administration over Title IX violations.

Back in February, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled "Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports," which requires any education program that receives federal funding to prohibit male athletes from competing in female categories. 

CIF was one of the first high school sports leagues in the country to reject the order outright. In response, the U.S. Department of Education launched an investigation, which found that California’s athletic policies likely violate federal law. Rather than change its policy, the state officially rejected a resolution agreement from the Department of Education — prompting the Department of Justice to file suit this summer.

According to the lawsuit, the DOJ is seeking an injunction to stop the state from enforcing any policy that allows male athletes to compete in girls’ events. The complaint also asks for the reversal of awards or titles granted to ineligible athletes.

MORE: DOJ Sues California After State Rejects Title IX Agreement On Girls' Sports

Despite California Governor Gavin Newsom’s prior public comments that the issue of males competing in girls' sports is "unfair," his office has claimed the state has no control over CIF or the Department of Education.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Newsom’s office said: "CIF is an independent nonprofit that governs high school sports. The California Department of Education is a separate constitutional office. Neither is under the Governor’s authority."

Gov. Gavin Newsom's office won't take responsibility for decisions made by the CIF and California Department of Education.

(Frazer Harrison/WireImage via Getty Images)

A joint motion to dismiss filed by CIF and the Department of Education is currently pending before the court. But the DOJ opposes that motion, and a hearing is scheduled for Oct. 24.

If the court denies the motion to dismiss, the case will proceed — meaning CIF and the CDE could be forced to defend their policies at trial.

California is also dealing with multiple lawsuits at the local level.

In Riverside County, two girls’ cross country runners sued the school district after a trans-identifying male took one of their varsity spots. 

In a separate case, girls’ volleyball players filed suit after being forced to share the court and locker room with a trans-identifying male teammate,AB Hernandez, — the same athlete who won two state titles in girls’ track this past spring.

RELATED: California High School Volleyball Team With Trans Athlete Sees More Forfeits Following Lawsuit By Teammates

During Monday’s Kern board meeting, students and community members expressed concern about the future of fairness and funding.

"How would that cut in funding affect the students across the district?" Student board member Samreen Sandhu asked about possible blowback from the state. "If you are telling me that whatever official resolution we make today will affect my education, I say we hold off until the Supreme Court makes an official decision."

The Supreme Court is set to hear two cases this fall regarding the legality of state laws that ban biological males from competing in girls' and women’s sports.

A plane tows a sign that reads No Boys in Girls Sports in protest to transgender athlete AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley during the CIF State Track and Field Championships.

(Photo by Kirby Lee/Getty Images)

But Tisinger insisted that the board has a responsibility to stand up for what’s right, even if it risks legal action.

"We’re probably going to get sued one way or another," Tisinger said. "If we’re going to get sued, I want us to be on the right side of all of it."

Although the KHSD resolution does not carry the force of law or change district-level policy, it signals a growing divide between local communities and state leadership. A bipartisan survey by the Public Policy Institute of California recently found that a majority of state residents — including more than 70% of school parents — oppose biological males competing in girls’ sports.

So the people have spoken. State leadership, so far, just refuses to listen.