California can keep allowing trans athletes to compete after judge tosses federal lawsuit

A Trump Administration lawsuit against the state of California over allowing transgender youth to play on sports team that match their gender identity was thrown out by a federal judge this week.

Judge Cynthia Valenzuela dismissed the suit and ended the case on grounds that the Department of Justice did not give due notice that federal funding hinged on banning transgender student-athletes.

“Count I depends on a single asserted rule: that Title IX requires schools to use biological sex, regardless of gender identity, to determine eligibility for girls’ athletics and access to sex-separated athletic facilities,” the ruling stated.

“Plaintiff’s athletics, equal-opportunity, and facilities theories all depend on that rule. Because Title IX and its regulations did not clearly impose any such rule as a condition of federal funding, Count I is dismissed.”