On August 31, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California dismissed with prejudice a lawsuit brought by the United States against the California Department of Education (“CDE”) and California Interscholastic Federation (“CIF”) challenging California laws and policies that permit transgender students to participate in school athletics and use athletic facilities consistent with their gender identity.
California Education Code Section 221.5, subdivision (f), requires elementary and secondary schools to permit students to participate in sex-segregated school programs and activities, including athletic teams and competitions, and use facilities consistent with their gender identity, regardless of the gender listed in their student records.
The federal government filed a lawsuit, alleging that Title IX requires schools receiving federal funds to determine eligibility for girls’ athletic teams and access to sex-separated facilities based on biological sex. The United States sought a court order requiring CDE and CIF to issue statewide directives “prohibiting the participation of males in athletic competitions designated for females.”
The court ultimately concluded that Title IX and its implementing regulations did not clearly notify CDE that accepting federal education funding required schools to exclude transgender girls from girls’ athletic teams and sex-separated facilities based on biological sex. The court therefore held that the federal government could not enforce that asserted requirement against CDE and CIF as a condition of receiving federal funds. The court did not decide whether California’s policies comply with Title IX or whether Title IX permits schools to allow transgender girls to participate on girls’ athletic teams.
More information about the case can be found in LCW’s Special Bulletin: https://www.lcwlegal.com/news/federal-court-dismisses-title-ix-lawsuit-challenge-to-californias-transgender-student-athletics-laws-and-policies/