Thank you to the thousands of Californians who stood with us by signing the petition urging the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) to uphold Title IX and protect fairness in girls’ sports. Since we hand-delivered over 20,000 signatures to CIF on June 20th, there has been significant and urgent movement.
On June 25, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a determination that CIF and the California Department of Education (CDE) are in violation of Title IX for allowing males to compete in girls’ sports and access girls’ locker rooms, actions that compromise the safety and fairness owed to female athletes.
The federal ruling gave both agencies 10 days to comply, or face immediate enforcement action, including potential referral to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
California’s Response: A Direct Rejection
Today, on the 10-day deadline, both CDE and CIF issued their responses:
The California Department of Education stated:
“The CDE respectfully disagrees with OCR’s analysis, and it will not sign the Proposed Resolution Agreement.”
The CIF followed with its own statement:
“The CIF concurs with the response of the CDE… Consequently, the CIF will not be signing the proposed resolution agreement.”
In short, California’s education leadership is refusing to comply with federal civil rights law.
What This Means for Girls in California
This refusal has devastating consequences for young women and girls across the state:
- Girls will continue to be forced to compete against males
- Girls will continue to share locker rooms with boys
- Girls will continue to be injured, sidelined, or displaced
- California now risks losing up to $8 billion in federal education funding
National Leaders Speak Out
This blatant defiance has drawn strong condemnation from across the country.
“California is refusing to change its policy of forcing girls to compete against biological males. The Education Department says it ‘disagrees’ with the federal civil rights laws. This reckless and illegal decision puts our state’s federal funding at risk.”
— Congressman Kevin Kiley
“California has just REJECTED our resolution agreement to follow federal law and keep men out of women’s sports. Turns out Gov. Newsom’s acknowledgment that ‘it’s an issue of fairness’ was empty political grandstanding.”
— U.S. DOE Secretary Linda McMahon
In response to today’s developments, Sophia Lorey, Outreach Director for California Family Council and a former collegiate athlete, stated:
“Today as a Californian, I’m disgusted by our state’s leadership. But I am not defeated. I’ll keep fighting so girls in CA have the same opportunities I had as a college athlete. I’m hopeful because I know many Californians feel the same. We won’t back down.”
What You Can Do
Now is not the time to be silent. Every Californian who cares about truth, fairness, and federal law must speak up.
▶️ Watch the powerful ad featuring current female athletes speaking out:
👉 https://x.com/SophiaSLorey/status/1938251723199647776
▶️ Share this article with your community
🗣️ Speak the truth on social media
✍️ Stay engaged with California Family Council
We will not let California silence or sideline our girls.
Title IX is the law — and we intend to see it enforced.
