On June 25, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education, led by Secretary Linda McMahon under the Trump administration, issued a dramatic ultimatum to California: revisit its inclusive policies for transgender student-athletes, or risk losing critical federal education funding within 10 days.
Per the federal directive, California must bar transgender girls from girls’ sports teams, enforce “biology-based” definitions of male and female, rescind any guidance permitting gender identity-based participation, and send formal apologies to cisgender girls who competed against trans peers, restoring any awards that transgender athletes won. Failure to meet the June 35 deadline could prompt referral to the Department of Justice or even immediate defunding.
California has made it clear that compliance is unlikely. Governor Gavin Newsom’s office dismissed the demand as a theatrical “WrestleMania” spectacle with no legal basis. The state’s Education Department reaffirmed its commitment to students’ rights in alignment with California law, enacted in 2013, which enables students to participate in athletics consistent with gender identity.
This clash highlights the stark contrast between California’s protections and federal policy. Transgender teenagers like AB Hernandez, who made national headlines by placing in three events at the 2025 state track championships, are at the center of this debate. In response, the California Interscholastic Federation implemented targeted eligibility adjustments for the championship to accommodate public scrutiny, though broader inclusive rules remain intact.
Supporters of the federal stance argue it restores fairness. The California Family Council cheered the federal move as “a critical step toward restoring fairness and protecting the integrity of girls’ sports.”
But LGBTQ+ advocates paint a very different picture. Equality California condemned the action as a “dangerous distortion of Title IX” and a “direct attack on transgender youth in California.” Trevor Norcross, whose daughter, a transgender track athlete, competes in San Luis Obispo County, described it as “bullying by the administration” targeting student-athletes.
Context & Legal Landscape
In February, President Trump signed Executive Order 14201 “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” enforcing a biologically based sex standard under Title IX. This order reversed the Biden-era interpretation of Title IX, which had affirmed protections based on gender identity. The Education Department is now applying those new rules to California and other states, continuing a broader national campaign that includes legal actions against Maine, Minnesota, and more.
For transgender students and their families, this showdown is more than a policy debate, it’s a battle over respect, recognition, and equal opportunity. The federal push threatens to erase gender-affirming policy protections in favor of biological essentialism, even as the Supreme Court backs gender identity under Title VII .
The Bottom Line
California must swiftly decide: stand by its inclusive laws and brace for funding loss and legal fight, or reverse course and sacrifice protections for transgender youth. The clock is ticking, and communities are mobilizing: schools, families, and allies are preparing for what could become a watershed moment in the fight for trans rights in education.
