Trump admin confronts California over trans athlete in girls track championship

EXCLUSIVE: President Donald Trump’s administration is putting California and Governor Gavin Newsom on notice ahead of a controversial track and field postseason meet that will feature a biologically male trans athlete competing in the girls’ category.

The U.S. Department of Education called out Newsom, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) and Jurupa Valley High School over the upcoming meet and previous reporting that CIF officials made competitors at last Saturday’s postseason event remove their “Protect Girls Sports” shirts throughout the day.

“CIF’s and Jurupa Valley High School’s apparent flouting of federal civil rights law by allowing a male athlete to compete in a female California track and field [Southern Sectional Division 3 Final] this Saturday, and the alleged retaliation against the girls who are protesting this, is indefensible,” Julie Hartman, a Department of Education spokeswoman, told Fox News Digital.

The CIF is already under a federal Title IX investigation over the state’s trans inclusion practices.

“California Governor Gavin Newsom, who in a startling moment of moral clarity, recently remarked that it was ‘deeply unfair’ for men to compete in women’s sports,” Hartman continued. “Where is Governor Newsom now? With or without the Governor, the Trump Administration’s Department of Education’s commitment is unwavering: we will not allow institutions to trample upon women’s civil rights. OCR’s investigation into CIF continues with vigor.”  

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California girls’ track and field athletes protest trans inclusion in girls’ sports at a postseason meet at Yorba Linda High School on Saturday, May 10, 2025 (Courtesy of Sophia Lorey)

California’s high school sports league was one of the first in the nation to openly announce its defiance of President Donald Trump’s “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” executive order. Now, the state is facing growing unrest from its own residents over the issue in addition to the federal investigation. 

A trans track and field athlete for Jurupa Valley High School will be competing in the high jump, triple jump and long jump after advancing in the prelims last Saturday. The athlete took a top-9 spot in those events, keeping three female athletes from advancing, while taking first in the triple jump. 

Brea Olinda student Julia Teven, 17, is one of the athletes set to face the trans competitor on Saturday. Teven is also one of the few female athletes to have beaten Jurupa Valley’s athlete this year, tying for first place in the high jump at the prelims last Saturday, while the trans athlete finished eighth.

However, Teven also claimed she has seen the trans athlete jump much higher in social media posts, and acknowledges that the athlete could still beat her this upcoming Saturday, noting the scoring system of the final is different than the prelims.

“He could beat me, for this one he didn’t, but looking forward he could,” Teven said,

Still, Teven doesn’t blame the athlete for the issue, she blames the institution allowing it. 

“I genuinely believe he doesn’t have a harmful intent towards girls sports. I think it’s the kind of like, CIF allowing him that’s kind of put him in his position,” Teven said. “I think genuinely, he’s just, like, being enabled by the CIF, and he’s just taking his opportunity presented to him.”

Crean Lutheran student Reese Hogan, 16, also finished ahead of the trans athlete in high jump, at fifth place. But it was a different story during triple jump. 

The trans athlete dominated the event, winning by more than four feet over the runner-up. 

Hogan finished third, and would have placed one spot higher were it not for the trans athlete. 

“It’s just kind of sad just watching. He’s obviously a really talented athlete, we’ve all seen him jump and stuff, and I wish him the best of luck, but in a boys’ division,” Hogan said. “It’s pretty obvious the certain advantages that he has, and it’s obviously just sad as a woman to watch that.” 

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California high school girls’ athletes wear ‘Protect Girls Sports’ shirts at a postseason track meet at Yorba Linda High School on Saturday, May 10, 2025.  (Courtesy of Reese Hogan)

The competitors had to wait through an hours-long delay on Saturday to finish the competition after temperatures exceeded over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, putting the meet in a heat danger delay. 

The heated nature of the event extended into the temper’s of the spectators. 

The meet was overshadowed by controversy and protest, as activists held a live press conference that saw students, parents and even public education officials bash the CIF and state government for allowing what was happening that day. 

The CIF has acknowledged that its officials made athletes at the meet take off the “Protect Girls Sports” shirts that they wore in protest, claiming it was due to standard apparel policy. 

“Per the CIF Southern Section Playoff Bulletin, all athletes must be dressed in proper, school issued, track uniforms. The student-athletes were asked to comply with this while in the on-field event area, as they were wearing said shirts over their school-issued uniform,” the CIF said in a statement. 

However, witnesses allege that the officials did not give the same orders to athletes wearing non-school-issued gear that didn’t include the “Protect Girls Sports” message. 

Footage on social media shows some spectators chanting “that’s a boy!” at the athlete. But Hogan and fellow Crean Lutheran student Olivia Viola told Fox News digital that other fans only cheered for the trans athlete during the event while remaining silent for the female competitors. 

“I know it was like, really, really split, specifically, like when he was jumping, and it was like you could visibly see it, almost like it felt like half the stadium was, like, against it. And then there was like a little chunk of people over here that would, like, cheer really loudly for everything he did,” Viola said. 

“It just was bothersome to me. It was a little bit sad to hear people cheering louder for the biological male competing in a female sport than the females competing in the female sports. That part was just a little bit, that part was saddening to me.”

Viola, who will also compete against the trans athlete on Saturday, added that she also puts the blame on the CIF for hostile, conflicting crowds at the meet. 

“I think it’s 100% on the people in authority who are allowing it to happen and not him, not this athlete. I don’t want the protests to be turned against this athlete, I want it to be turned and I do think most of us want it to be turned against the people in authority and the adults who need to stand up for us and CIF,” Viola said. 

Some public institutions in California already are standing up, including Hogan and Viola’s school. 

Three California Christian schools have spoken out against the CIF over the situation. JSerra Catholic High School, Orange Lutheran High School and Crean Lutheran High School sent a joint letter to the CIF last week, calling out the issue that has erupted for religious schools this track and field season.

“CIF’s Gender Identity Policy also fosters an environment that is increasingly hostile to religious member schools. CIF’s expectation that all faith-based schools facilitate the CIF Gender Identity Policy puts religious schools in the untenable position of adhering to the tenets of their faith in their classrooms and communities but practicing something contrary to their faith on their athletic fields,” the letter read.

California Family Council outreach director told Fox News Digital that parents plan to protest at the southern sectional final.

“As a former CIF and college athlete in California, I am beyond grateful and encouraged to finally see an administration that is boldly standing up for girls. The Trump administration’s willingness to call out the injustice happening at CIF and Jurupa High School is exactly what female athletes across this state have been waiting for,” Lorey said. 

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The Jurupa Unified School District provided a statement to Fox News Digital responding to the Department of Education’s statement, defending its continued enabling of biological males in girls’ sports. 

“JUSD continues to follow both California law and CIF policy regarding school athletics. Both state law and CIF policy currently require that students be permitted to participate in athletic teams and competitions consistent with their gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the pupil’s records. JUSD remains committed to protecting the rights and safety of the students we serve, in accordance with applicable state and federal laws,” the statement read.

California has been a minefield of controversial incidents involving trans athlete inclusion in girls’ and women’s sports for over a year, which has included multiple incidents involving volleyball teams, girls’ basketball teams and girls’ cross country. 

Some of the incidents have even prompted forfeits and even lawsuits. 

Newsom addressed the issue during an episode of his podcast in early March. 

“Well, I think it’s an issue of fairness,” Newsom said to conservative influencer Charlie Kirk. “I completely agree with you on that. It’s deeply unfair.

“So that’s easy to call out the unfairness of that. There’s also a humility and a grace… these poor people are more likely to commit suicide, have anxiety and depression, and the way that people talk down to vulnerable communities is an issue that I have a hard time with as well.

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“So both things I can hold in my hand. How can we address this issue with the kind of decency that I think you know is inherent in you, but not always expressed on the issue? 

“The question you’re asking is the question we’ve been asking ourselves for months and haven’t been able to answer. What is that line? How can you make this fair? I haven’t been able to figure it out, and I’m about as transparent about this as anybody out there, especially in my party on this. To the extent someone can and do it in a way that’s respectful and responsible and could find the kind of balance, then I’m open to that discussion.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom’s office, and the CIF for comment.

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