A California high school's decision to allow a transgender athlete to participate in girls' basketball playoffs is setting the stage for a clash with the federal government. The upcoming game between San Francisco Waldorf and Cornerstone Christian features a transgender athlete who previously played on Waldorf's girls' volleyball team, causing controversy last fall when Stone Ridge Christian forfeited a playoff match rather than compete against the athlete.
Cornerstone Christian, however, has decided to proceed with the game, stating that they will support their girls' team as long as the parents are comfortable with the decision. This decision follows a team meeting where the issue was discussed.
The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), which governs high school sports in the state, is currently under investigation by the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) for its non-compliance with President Trump's executive order prohibiting transgender athletes from competing in girls' sports. The DOE has confirmed that they are monitoring the situation and emphasized that the CIF, as a recipient of federal funds, must adhere to Title IX regulations.
The CIF maintains it is following California state law (AB 1266), which allows students to participate in sports based on their gender identity. This law has been in place since 2014 and has been the source of ongoing legal and political battles in the state.
Several California lawmakers have recently introduced bills aiming to reverse the state's current policy on transgender athletes. One bill seeks to require student participation in sports based on biological sex, directly challenging AB 1266. These legislative efforts come amid growing public dissent and legal challenges to the state's stance on transgender athletes in sports, including a lawsuit against the California Attorney General stemming from a dispute over a transgender athlete displacing a cisgender girl on a cross-country team.
This ongoing conflict highlights the tension between state law and federal mandates, with potential implications for federal funding of California schools. The outcome of the OCR investigation and the proposed legislation could significantly impact the future of transgender participation in sports within the state.
