Each week, Liebert Cassidy Whitmore provides a summary of newly issued Executive Orders and other significant Presidential and federal actions that have a foreseeable impact on governance, compliance, and operational policies for California employers. The summaries below outline the key provisions of each action, along with our brief analysis of their potential implications for municipal agencies, school districts, private schools, and nonprofits.
Executive Action: Department of Justice Launches Title IX Investigation Based On California’s Transgender Student Athlete Policies (May 28, 2025)
On May 28, 2025, the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched an investigation to determine whether California’s laws and practices regarding transgender student participation in athletics violate Title IX.
The investigation will focus on the effects of California’s Assembly Bill 1266, a 2013 law that requires K-12 school districts to allow students to participate in sex-segregated school programs and activities, including sports, and use facilities that are consistent with their gender identity. According to the DOJ, the investigation was directly prompted by a transgender Jurupa Unified School District student’s qualification for three women’s track and field events at the upcoming state championships.
The DOJ sent letters announcing the investigation to CA Attorney General Rob Bonta, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, Jurupa Unified School District, and the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF). The announcement comes one day after President Trump threatened via Truth Social to pull federal funding from California over the Jurupa USD student’s participation in the championships.
The investigation has no immediate effect on California public or private schools other than Jurupa USD, but it could have implications for federal funding for California schools. LCW will continue to monitor the investigation.