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

The Trump Administration has filed a federal lawsuit against the state of California, accusing it of violating Title IX by allowing males to compete in girls' and women’s sports.

The lawsuit, announced Wednesday, comes just weeks after California rejected a resolution agreement from the U.S. Department of Education that would have required the state to bring its athletic policies into compliance with federal law.

"California has just REJECTED our resolution agreement to follow federal law and keep men out of women's sports," McMahon wrote earlier this week on X. "Turns out Gov. Newsom's acknowledgment that 'it’s an issue of fairness' was empty political grandstanding. [Governor Newsom], you'll be hearing from [Attorney General Pam Bondi]."

During a Wednesday interview on Fox News' America’s Newsroom, McMahon confirmed that legal action is now underway.

"We investigated this," she said. "The Office of Civil Rights at the Department of Education investigated. We told Governor Newsom that we’d be investigating these violations. We found California to be in violation of Title IX. We turned it over to the Justice Department, and they announced this morning that they were filing suit against California.

McMahon added: "This is something that President Trump campaigned on — his promises made and promises kept. I think it is just totally unfair to have men competing against women in sports, and also to share their intimate locker facilities, etcetera. Women fought hard for these rights, and it is the law. And the president means business with it."

According to the Justice Department, the lawsuit seeks to stop California from enforcing policies that violate Title IX, along with the potential reversal of athletic awards or titles granted to ineligible athletes. The administration is pursuing the case through its Title IX Special Investigations Team — a joint effort between the Department of Education and the DOJ tasked with fast-tracking enforcement of civil rights protections.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom Dismissed Federal Investigation As 'Fake' and ’Dramatic'

California officially rejected the Department of Education's resolution agreement on Monday, following a federal investigation into the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), the state's governing body for high school sports. The investigation was triggered by multiple complaints, including the case of 16-year-old trans-identifying male AB Hernandez, who qualified for three girls' events at the California state track meet and won two of them.

The Department of Education concluded that CIF's policies likely violated Title IX. But rather than accept the resolution and avoid legal action, California refused — and Governor Newsom responded with mockery.

"Secretary McMahon is confusing government with her WrestleMania days — dramatic, fake and completely divorced from reality," Newsom told The Advocate late last month. "This won’t stick."

Gavin Newsom mocked Linda McMahon after the Department of Education threatened legal action against California over Title IX violations.

(Getty Images)

But federal officials insist that enforcing Title IX protections is not optional.

"We must ensure women and girls are not stripped of their hard-earned accolades or subjected to the danger and indignity of unfair competitions," McMahon said in an earlier statement. "And we will fight to restore antidiscrimination protections under Title IX to the fullest extent of the law."

California joins several other states now facing federal investigations or legal action for failing to comply with President Trump’s February executive order, which bans male athletes from competing in female categories in any education program that receives federal funding. Active cases are underway in Minnesota, Washington, Maine and Wyoming.

The legal battle over women's sports is also headed to the U.S. Supreme Court this fall. The Court is expected to hear two major cases that will determine whether states can ban transgender-identifying male athletes from competing in girls' sports — rulings that will likely have nationwide implications for Title IX enforcement.

MORE: Supreme Court To Decide Legality Of State Bans On Trans Athletes In Girls’ Sports

For now, the Trump Administration appears to be drawing a clear line: If you violate Title IX, expect consequences.