California transgender sports policy upheld by federal judge

U.S. District Judge Cynthia Valenzuela has dismissed a lawsuit brought by the Justice Department that challenged California policies allowing transgender students to participate in school sports based on their gender identity.

The Justice Department argued that California’s policies violated Title IX, asserting that the law requires sports eligibility and facility access to be based on biological sex rather than gender identity. However, Judge Valenzuela ruled that Title IX and its implementing regulations do not clearly require California to exclude transgender girls from girls’ teams or sex-separated facilities.

In her decision, Valenzuela noted that the state lacked clear notice that its federal funding was at risk if it continued its current policies. She also addressed recent Supreme Court rulings, stating that while the high court held that states may maintain separate sex-based teams for biological females, it did not rule that Title IX requires every school to adopt identical eligibility standards or specifically decide whether transgender girls must be permitted to participate.