Donald Trump seems adamant on “keeping men out of women’s sport.” The President is making good on his promise of taking drastic action if the executive order isn’t followed. The Trump administration took legal action against the California Interscholastic Federation and the Department of Education for defying the executive order.
The executive order signed by Trump alleged that educational and athletic associations were allowing “men to compete in women’s sports.” This referred to trans athletes competing in girls’ and women’s sports categories.
The order further noted how the act of letting the transgender athletes compete was “demeaning, unfair, and dangerous” to female athletes. The executive order also noted how female athletes were denied the chance of “equal opportunity to participate and excel” in these categories.
In accordance with the previously signed executive order, the administration is now suing the California Interscholastic Federation and the Department of Education. Trump had previously threatened to take away federal funding from institutions that fail to comply with the executive order.
The lawsuit filed by the Trump administration claims that California’s state policies violate the conditions of Title IX. Title IX is a civil rights law passed in 1972 that bans school and educational programs from discriminating based on an individual’s sex.
We at @CivilRights just sued California for its defiance of Title IX. Under @AGPamBondi’s leadership, we will enforce our federal civil rights laws so that girls have equal and safe sports opportunities of their own! pic.twitter.com/IdPZzZHp7a
— AAGHarmeetDhillon (@AAGDhillon) July 9, 2025
The filed lawsuit claims that California’s policies “eviscerate equal athletic opportunities for girls’ and ‘require girls to share intimate spaces, such as locker rooms, with boys, causing a hostile educational environment that denies girls educational opportunities.”
The lawsuit further claims that the results of these “illegal policies are stark.” It goes on to claim that women are displaced from podiums, miss crucial opportunities, resulting in missing out on “critical visibility for college scholarships and recognition.”
The lawsuit documents label the state’s policies as “demeaning” to female athletes. The lawsuit goes on to claim that the policies signal that the female athletes’ opportunities and achievements are “secondary to accommodating boys.” Pam Bondi, who serves as the Attorney General, has also made her stance on the situation clear before.
She spoke about how the Department of Justice will always strive to protect and fight for “equal opportunities for women and girls in sports.” Additionally, the lawsuit is also demanding “correcting past athletics records,” according to a report by the New York Post.
BREAKING
The University of Pennsylvania has come to an agreement with the Trump administration on what the Department of Education said was its Title IX violations.
This will include stripping trans athlete Lia Thomas of her records, titles, and recognitions. pic.twitter.com/654YK2a95y
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) July 1, 2025
The lawsuit comes after transgender athlete Lia Thomas was stripped of her athletic achievements. The swimmer had her records taken away after her university decided to comply with the executive order.
In 2022, the athlete made history by becoming the first transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I national championship. Thompson emerged victorious by winning the women’s 500-yard freestyle event.
