Latest news with #ABHernandez
CBS News
09-07-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Trump administration sues California over transgender athletes
The Justice Department filed a civil lawsuit against California's Department of Education and a nongovernmental sports organization alleging that they violated federal civil rights laws by implementing policies that "force girls to compete against boys" in state athletic events. California's policies, the Justice Department alleges in its complaint, "eviscerate equal athletic opportunities for girls" and cause "a hostile educational environment that denies girls educational opportunities." "The Governor of California has previously admitted that it is 'deeply unfair' to force women and girls to compete with men and boys in competitive sports," Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement. "But not only is it 'deeply unfair,' it is also illegal under federal law. This Department of Justice will continue its fight to protect equal opportunities for women and girls in sports." In June, the Trump administration threatened California with steep fines and legal action days after a transgender athlete won two statewide high school track-and-field events, ramping up the legal threats aimed at the state over transgender issues. That student, AB Hernandez, a transgender 16-year-old, won both the high school girls' high jump and triple jump at a California state track meet on Saturday, after competing under new rules that allowed additional girls to compete and medal in events in which a transgender athlete participates. Before the competition, California Interscholastic Foundation (CIF), the independent nonprofit organization that runs the state's high school sports, started a "pilot entry process" that allowed additional female students to participate in the championship meet for certain events. The new rules also resulted in Hernandez sharing the gold medal podium with two other students in a shared first place win in one event. The new policy only applied to events that Hernandez participated in. However, in a letter sent to California public school districts and the CIF, Harmeet Dhillon, head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, called CIF policies allowing transgender athletes to compete "unconstitutional." She alleged that "knowingly depriving female students of athletic opportunities and benefits on the basis of their sex would constitute unconstitutional sex discrimination under the Equal Protection Clause" of the 14th Amendment. Dhillon ordered the CIF to inform the Justice Department by June 9 that it will no longer implement a bylaw covering transgender athletes, alleging it violates the rights of female athletes. The CIF rule criticized by Dhillon's letter requires California public high schools to allow all students to participate in sports "in a manner that is consistent with their gender identities, irrespective of the gender listed on a student's records." Education Secretary Linda McMahon wrote in a July 7 post on X that California had rejected the Trump administration demand, writing that California Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state would face consequences from Bondi and the Justice Department. Spokespeople for Newsom, and the California Attorney General's office did not immediately reply to requests for comment. A spokesperson for the California Interscholastic Foundation said that the organization does not comment on legal matters. In April, the Justice Department filed a similar suit against Maine's Department of Education for alleged Title IX violations.
Time of India
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Play by our gender rules or pay the price: Trump's Title IX ultimatum to California education department
FILE - AB Hernandez, a transgender student at Jurupa Valley High School, stands on the podium during a medal ceremony for the triple jump at the California high school track-and-field championships in Clovis, Calif., May 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, file) In the sun-soaked fields of California's public schools, a new legal and ideological storm is brewing, one that reaches far beyond track meets and podium finishes. At the heart of this unfolding clash lies a single, charged question: Can a student's gender identity coexist with federal protections for sex-based equality in education? In what is shaping up to be one of the most consequential education-rights disputes of recent times, the Trump administration has accused California's education department and high school athletics federation of violating Title IX, a landmark civil rights law that bars sex discrimination in federally funded schools. The reason? California's decision to allow transgender girls to compete in girls' sports. What began as the story of a teenage athlete named AB Hernandez, has now evolved into a constitutional confrontation with national implications. With federal funding on the line and ideological lines hardening, the fight over how schools define fairness, inclusion, and legality is no longer theoretical; it is immediate, raw, and threatening to redraw the legal foundations of public education. Track star turned target: The teen behind California's Title IX clash Seventeen-year-old Hernandez didn't set out to become the face of a national controversy. But her athletic triumphs at California's high school state championship, first-place finishes in the girls' high jump and triple jump, and second in the long jump, did more than just earning her medals. They triggered a political firestorm. To navigate the controversy, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) implemented an unusual compromise: Awarding duplicate medals to the cisgender athletes who would have won, had Hernandez not competed. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Perdagangkan CFD Emas dengan Broker Tepercaya IC Markets Mendaftar Undo It was a symbolic gesture, but one that satisfied no one and drew national attention. Within weeks, the US Department of Education launched investigations into both the CIF and the state's education department, calling California's inclusive policy a violation of Title IX. Trump's Title IX ultimatum: Ban trans girls from girls' sports or lose school funding Under the Trump administration's interpretation, Title IX must be grounded in binary, biological sex. The administration insists that the law was designed to protect opportunities for girls and women in education and sports, protections that, they argue, are being eroded when transgender girls are allowed to compete. 'California has failed to uphold its obligation to protect girls under Title IX,' said Education Secretary Linda McMahon in a statement. The department's proposed resolution is sweeping: California must prohibit transgender girls from participating in girls' sports, require schools to adopt sex-specific definitions of 'male' and 'female,' revoke awards given to trans athletes, and issue apology letters to the cisgender athletes affected. Failure to comply within 10 days could result in the loss of federal education funding, a move that would shake California's public school system to its core. California's rebuttal: Inclusion is not noncompliance The California Department of Education, however, is refusing to back down. 'All students should have the opportunity to learn and participate fully in school life,' said Liz Sanders, spokesperson for the department in a statement. That stance is backed by California law, which allows students to participate in school activities in accordance with their gender identity. But now, that state-level policy is in direct defiance of federal demands, setting up a constitutional standoff that could reach the courts. California schools on the edge of a funding cliff At risk in this ideological war are California's public schools. Billions in federal funds, used for everything from special education and lunch programs to Title I support for low-income students, could be withdrawn if the state refuses to comply. The Justice Department is already pursuing a similar lawsuit against Maine after it rejected a nearly identical policy demand. Educators now find themselves in a state of legal confusion. They are trying to support all the students, but are scrambling to find which law to follow. The guidelines change with each administration, and they are at the precipice of executing them. The national context: A legal doctrine in transition This clash is not happening in isolation. It's part of a broader campaign by the Trump administration to redefine civil rights in education by limiting protections for transgender students. Under Biden, Title IX was expanded to include gender identity, a policy that was struck down by a federal court before Trump returned to office. Now, the pendulum has swung dramatically in the opposite direction. By aggressively enforcing a biology-based interpretation of sex, the Trump administration is reshaping Title IX into a tool for cultural conservatism, wielding federal funding as leverage to pressure states into compliance. The strategy is effective, but also polarizing. Legal scholars warn that the clash could soon head to the Supreme Court, where the nation's highest bench may ultimately decide whether Title IX protects transgender students or excludes them. More than a policy fight, a test of educational values At its core, this is not just a fight over medals, podiums, or policies. It's a confrontation over the purpose of public education. Is the role of schools to reflect the evolving understanding of identity and inclusion? Or to preserve fixed notions of fairness rooted in biology? For millions of students across the country, the answer will determine more than just who can run, jump, or compete. It will shape whether their schools are places of belonging or battlegrounds for civil rights. California has made its choice. The Trump administration has drawn its line. And the nation's schools are now the proving ground for a legal, moral, and cultural conflict that will define the future of education in America. 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Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump Wants to Cut Funding for California Schools Over One Trans Athlete. It's Not So Easy
This article was originally published in CalMatters. This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. California's schools and colleges receive billions in federal funding each year — money that President Donald Trump is threatening to terminate over the actions of one student. AB Hernandez, a junior from Jurupa Valley High School, is transgender, and on May 31 she won first- and second-place medals at the state track and field championship. Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter 'A Biological Male competed in California Girls State Finals, WINNING BIG, despite the fact that they were warned by me not to do so,' Trump said in a social media post last week. 'As Governor Gavin Newscum (sic) fully understands, large scale fines will be imposed!!!' Despite this post and a similar threat a few days earlier to withhold 'large-scale' federal funding from California, Trump lacks the authority to change the state's policy toward transgender athletes without an act of Congress or a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court. And recent court cases suggest that Trump also may have a hard time withholding money from California. California state law explicitly allows transgender students in its K-12 school districts to compete on the team that matches their preferred gender, but the Trump administration has issued multiple directives that restrict access to girls' sports, including a letter last week from the U.S. Department of Justice telling high schools to change their policies. On Monday, California Attorney General Rob Bonta sued the Justice Department over its letter, saying it had 'no right to make such a demand.' 'Let's be clear: sending a letter does not change the law,' said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond in a statement to school districts. 'The DOJ's letter to school districts does not announce any new federal law, and state law on this issue has remained unchanged since 2013.' On Monday, Thurmond sent his own letter to the Trump administration, refuting its legal argument. California receives over $2 billion each year for its low-income Title I schools, as well as over $1 billion for special education. At the college level, students receive billions in federal financial aid and federal loans. Even if Trump lacks the legal authority to change state law, he could still try to withhold funding from California, just like he tried with Maine. In February, Trump asked Maine Gov. Janet Mills if her state was going to comply with a presidential executive order — which is not a law — that directed schools to bar transgender girls from certain sports. Mills said she'd comply with 'state and federal laws,' effectively rebuking the president. The Trump administration has since tried to withhold funding from Maine, but legal challenges have prevented it. Trump made banning transgender youth athletes a centerpiece of his 2024 presidential campaign, and it's remained a focal point for his administration this year. Nationally, Americans increasingly support restrictions on transgender athletes, according to surveys from the Pew Research Center. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who last year signed legislation supporting trans students, spoke out against transgender athletes in a podcast this March, saying it was 'deeply unfair' to allow transgender girls to compete in girls' sports. Female athletes with higher levels of testosterone or with masculine characteristics have long faced scrutiny, biological testing and disqualification. Debates about who gets to participate in girls' or women's sports predate the Trump administration — and Newsom — and policies vary depending on the athletic institution. In 2004, the International Olympic Committee officially allowed transgender athletes to compete in the sport that aligned with their gender identity, as long as the athlete had sex reassignment surgery, only to change that policy in 2015 and require hormone testing. In 2021, the committee changed the policy again, creating more inclusive guidelines but giving local athletic federations the power to create their own eligibility criteria. Across California, youth leagues, private sports leagues and other independent athletic associations all have their own policies. Some allow transgender women and men to participate; some restrict who can compete. Some require 'confirmation' of a participant's gender, such as a government ID or statements from health care professionals, while other associations take the athletes at their word. California's colleges and universities are not allowed to discriminate against transgender students but state law doesn't provide any guidance beyond that. After the presidential executive order in February, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which independently regulates college sports, changed its rules, prohibiting transgender women from competing and putting colleges in a bind. Roughly 60 California universities are part of the NCAA, including almost all of the UC and many Cal State campuses. Community colleges, which represent the bulk of the state's undergraduates, are not part of the NCAA. 'There's a strong argument (the NCAA rules) could violate state law and federal equal protection,' said Elana Redfield, the federal policy director at UCLA's Williams Institute, which studies LGBTQ+ issues. Amy Bentley-Smith, a spokesperson for the California State University system, declined to comment about how the NCAA policy conflicts with state and federal regulations. She said the Cal State campuses abide by the NCAA rules — preventing transgender athletes from competing — while still following state and federal non-discrimination laws regarding trans students. Stett Holbrook, a spokesperson for the University of California system, said the UC does not have a system-wide policy for transgender athletes. He did not respond to questions about whether the campuses abide by NCAA rules. Unlike the NCAA, the California Community College Athletic Association allows transgender athletes to compete. A spokesperson for the association, Mike Robles, said he's aware of the NCAA rules and the Trump administration's priorities but he did not say whether the association will modify its own policy. In February, just days after the president's inauguration and the executive order regarding transgender athletes, the U.S. Department of Education launched an investigation into San Jose State after a women's volleyball player outed her teammate as transgender. The education department has yet to provide an update on that investigation. With the Trump administration's focus now on CA K-12 school districts, the legal debate has intensified. In its letter to the state's public schools last week, Assistant U.S. Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said allowing transgender girls to compete in girls' sports is 'in violation' of the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution and asked schools to change their policies. But the U.S. Constitution doesn't say anything about transgender athletes, at least not explicitly. Instead, Dhillon is offering an interpretation of the Constitution, 'which doesn't carry the full force of law,' Redfield said. The laws that do govern transgender athletes, such Title IX, aren't clear about what schools should do, and the U.S. Supreme Court — the entity with the power to interpret federal law and the Constitution — has yet to decide on the matter. That said, many lower level judges have already weighed in on whether the Constitution or Title IX law protects transgender students or athletes.'The preponderance of cases are in favor of trans plaintiffs,' Redfield said. 'The federal government is contradicting some pretty strong important precedent when they're making these statements.' After Trump's comments about AB Hernandez, the nonprofit entity that regulates high school sports, the California Interscholastic Federation, changed its policy, slightly. For the state's track and field championship, the federation said it would implement a new process, whereby AB Hernandez would share her award with any 'biological female' that she beat. All 'biological female' athletes below Hernandez would also move up in ranking. On May 31, Hernandez shared the first-place podium twice and the second-place podium once, each time with her competitors smiling supportively, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. A spokesperson for the governor, Izzy Gardon, said that approach is a 'reasonable, respectful way to navigate a complex issue without compromising competitive fairness.' This article was originally published on CalMatters and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license.
Daily Mail
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE I discovered a sinister transgender lie being taught to kids... it was so explosive it got me fired
A former gym teacher who was fired from transgender athlete AB Hernandez's California high school claimed the teen has been fed 'evil lies' and warned that schools are failing to protect girls' sports. Jessica Tapia, 32, said she was let go from her dream job in 2022 after clashing with bosses at Jurupa Valley High School.
CNN
11-06-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Education Dept. considering cuts for California universities while making ‘progress' with Harvard and Columbia, McMahon says
The Trump administration is turning its ire from the Ivies in the East to public universities in California as it continues its crusade to remake higher education in the United States. Education Secretary Linda McMahon affirmed the administration is considering significant slashes to federal funding for universities in the Golden State, which CNN previously reported, during a Tuesday conversation with Bloomberg's Akayla Gardner. 'In California, I think we saw pretty flagrant violations of Title IX, and that is why this focus that was put on them,' McMahon told CNN during the question-and-answer session Tuesday. 'We have men participating in women's sports, which is clearly against Title IX, and the president has made it very clear that he is definitely going to uphold Title IX.' The administration's focus on the West Coast marks a new phase in its effort to put America's elite universities on notice over political ideology, outside of concerns over antisemitism on campuses following the outbreak of the war between Israel and Hamas. Last month, President Donald Trump threatened to withhold federal funding from the state over a transgender athlete's participation in a sporting event. A.B. Hernandez, a public high school junior in Southern California, reached the podium in all three of her events at the state track and field championships. Her participation had prompted criticism and protests from some in the community who said it prevented lower-ranked competitors from advancing. Some critics of transgender athletes claim they have an unfair advantage in sports, but while existing research hints at how hormone therapy may affect a person's physical abilities, some experts say far more data is needed to make confident conclusions about whether trans people in general hold advantages in their respective sports. Earlier this month, the California Department of Education advised schools in the Golden State to resist barring trans athletes from competing in sports at the urging of the US Department of Justice. On Monday, the state filed suit against the DOJ for making the ask. 'California state law protects all students' access to participate in athletics in a manner that is consistent with their gender identity,' State Superintendent Tony Thurmond said in a statement following the pressure from the DOJ. 'We will continue to follow the law and ensure the safety of all our athletes.' A day after Trump's threat to withhold federal funding from California over Hernandez's participation in the event, the Justice Department announced it was investigating whether the state's School Success and Opportunity Act – which in part prohibits public schools from blocking transgender students from participating in school sports – violates the federal Title IX law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs or activities that receive federal money. California has 'blatantly (refused) to be in compliance with the Title IX regulations,' McMahon said Tuesday. Trump signed an executive order in February titled 'Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports' to ban transgender women from competing in women's sports, leaning in part on Title IX compliance. Ahead of the signing, a White House official said the action would take the opposite position on Title IX from the Biden administration, which established a rule that schools are violating Title IX when they ban transgender students from participating on sports teams. The Trump administration's position on Title IX, the official said, is 'if you're going to have women's sports, if you're going to provide opportunities for women, then they have to be equally safe, equally fair, and equally private opportunities, and so that means that you're going to preserve women's sports for women.' Singling out one state for massive cuts would be an unusual move, but Trump has long feuded with Democratic-led California – most recently in a legal battle after the president deployed the National Guard to respond to protests in Los Angeles despite Gov. Gavin Newsom's objections. Newsom broke with the position of most Democrats on the topic in March when he told a podcast the participation of transgender athletes playing in women's sports is 'an issue of fairness' and that he 'can hold in my hand' both sides of the debate. Newsom has a long record of supporting LGBTQ rights. He ordered the city and county of San Francisco to start issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in 2004 after being elected mayor of San Francisco. Senate Democrats in March blocked a GOP-led bill that would have banned transgender athletes from women's and girls' sports at federally funded schools and educational institutions. Federal agencies have now been told to start identifying grants that the administration can withhold from California, CNN reported Friday. Sources said the administration is specifically considering a full termination of federal grant funding for the University of California and California State University systems. The UC system is the state's third-largest employer, and both systems are major engines of research in the biotechnology and medical fields, among others. McMahon indicated formula funding could be on the chopping block for the California schools. Formula funds are federal grants that are set based on a predetermined formula determined by Congress, according to the Department of Education. 'That is one of the tools and the opportunities that we have with California and I think it's right that we make them aware that that is a risk that they run,' McMahon said, confirming reporting from Politico. Months of tumult for higher education institutions have followed Trump's January inauguration, with the administration threatening Columbia University's accreditation and Harvard's new international students just last week. But Tuesday, McMahon appeared to commend the schools' administrators and 'progress' at the institutions. The education secretary suggested the Trump administration believes Harvard has taken steps to combat antisemitism on campus, even though it remains embroiled in a number of lawsuits with the Ivy League school. 'We are, I think, making progress in some of the discussion, where even though they have taken a hard line, they have, for instance, replaced their head of Middle East Studies,' McMahon said. Her comments also come after Trump told reporters Harvard is 'starting to behave,' declining to elaborate further. McMahon continued, 'They have already put in place some of the things that we talked about in our negotiations with Columbia. For instance, none of us is suggesting that on college campuses there shouldn't be, you know, there shouldn't be discussion. There could be orderly and nonviolent protests. I mean, college ought to be about the exchange of ideas and debate and all of that. It has to be done peacefully.' And asked whether Harvard should expect additional actions from the administration, she said, 'At this particular time, we're continuing with the things we've already talked about.' McMahon also noted 'really good, open, honest discussions' with Columbia University. She said she has met once in person with the school's acting president, Claire Shipman, and they have spoken by phone twice. 'I think we've made great progress,' she said. Though the discussions began on the issue of antisemitism, McMahon said, 'We wanted to look at other aspects of, you know, the programs that they had on campus, how they were vetting their students. Did they believe that a lot of the uprisings on campus came from outside agitators or students that were on campus. What were some of the ways that they were managing those activities on campus?' McMahon said a consent decree – an agreement approved by a federal judge used as a monitoring system – was also on the table. 'We've discussed the consent decree and so our negotiations have gone, you know, back and forth. That's a good part of the negotiations,' she said. She expressed openness to some universities eventually getting federal funding back – and said it was a 'goal.' 'That's part of the negotiations, of course, that we have that are ongoing. It would be my goal that if universities – colleges and universities – are abiding by the laws of the United States and doing what we're expecting of them, that they could expect to have taxpayer-funded programs,' McMahon said.
