Earlier today, the U.S. Department of Justice officially rebuked California’s statewide high school athletic policy, declaring that schools following CIF Bylaw 300.D, which allows biological males to compete in girls’ sports, are in violation of the U.S. Constitution. The letter, issued June 2 by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, was sent to every California public school district affiliated with the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), totaling more than 1,600 institutions.
The DOJ’s message is unmistakably clear: permitting males to participate in female sports programs under the guise of “gender identity” deprives girls of their constitutionally protected rights under the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.
“Knowingly depriving female students of athletic opportunities and benefits on the basis of their sex would constitute unconstitutional sex discrimination,” Dhillon stated in the letter. Schools were given a deadline, June 9 at 5:00 p.m. ET, to certify in writing that they will not implement CIF Bylaw 300.D.
A Firestorm Ignited by CIF Track Championship
This bombshell letter from the DOJ comes just days after national headlines erupted over the performance of AB Hernandez, a biological male identifying as female, at the CIF State Track and Field Championships. Hernandez took home first place in the girls’ high jump and triple jump, and placed second in the long jump, even after President Donald Trump threatened to pull funding from California schools because of Hernandez’s participation in female sports.
The controversy was intensified by CIF’s attempt to minimize backlash by issuing duplicate medals to the next-highest-placing biological females—an unprecedented move that critics slammed as hollow and insulting. CIF called it a “pilot entry process,” but many saw it as a Band-Aid over a deep wound of injustice.
The DOJ’s letter now places legal weight behind those concerns. And it signals that the federal government is no longer willing to look the other way while young women are pushed to the sidelines.
A Legal and Cultural Earthquake
This is the first time a major federal agency has drawn such a direct constitutional line in the sand on the issue of biological sex in high school sports. The implications are massive—not just for California, but for the national debate on fairness in women’s sports.
From Title IX lawsuits to the rise of de-transitioner testimonies, the conflict between gender identity policies and biological realities has been brewing for years. But this letter from the DOJ marks a turning point. No longer is this just a cultural or legislative debate; it’s now a matter of constitutional law and federal enforcement.
Harmeet Dhillon amplified the moment on social media with a blunt post:
CFC’s Outreach Director Sophia Lorey, herself a former college athlete, applauded the DOJ’s action saying, “This is exactly the kind of clarity and courage we’ve needed from our federal government. Girls deserve equal opportunities, not a rigged system that tells them they must surrender their scholarships, titles, and dignity to boys in lipstick and leggings.”
The California Family Council Responds
CFC Vice President Greg Burt issued the following statement:
“We welcome this bold step by the U.S. Department of Justice. For too long, California’s education system has prioritized gender ideology over the physical safety and competitive fairness of young women. It’s time our schools return to truth, biology, and the equal protection of all students under the law.”
California Family Council has long warned that cult-like gender policies threaten not only religious freedom and parental rights, but also the basic rights of women and girls.
A Call to Action
This is a moment of decision for California schools. They can either obey CIF and face costly legal battles—or they can follow the Constitution and protect the rights of their female students.
The California Family Council will continue monitoring responses from school districts and urging local leaders, parents, and students to stand strong for truth and fairness in sports. Biological reality is not bigotry—it’s the foundation of justice, safety, and opportunity.
