California Wastes Taxpayer Dollars to Fight Women’s Civil Rights Protections
California’s Department of Education has made a choice: it would rather wage a losing legal battle than protect women’s rights.
This month, the state formally rejected findings from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) that it had violated Title IX by allowing biological males to compete in girls’ and women’s sports. Instead of correcting course, officials doubled down, defying federal law, risking billions in education funding, and dragging taxpayers into a costly legal fight with the U.S. Department of Justice.
Title IX was enacted over 50 years ago to ensure equal opportunity for women and girls in education, including athletics. That protection is rooted in biological sex. In February, President Donald Trump reaffirmed that principle through Executive Order 14201, “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” directing agencies to withhold funds from schools that violate Title IX by allowing male athletes in female competitions. In June, OCR concluded that both the California Department of Education (CDE) and the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) are in clear violation of the law.
As Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education, I’ve led congressional oversight on this issue. Together with Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI), we’ve made it clear that continued defiance is unacceptable and have called for immediate compliance with OCR’s remedies, including rescinding guidance documents, restoring stolen records and awards to female athletes, and issuing state apologies.
But rather than take responsibility for the harm they caused, California officials chose ideological posturing. On July 7, both entities responded by stating that they “disagree” with OCR’s findings, choosing to prolong discrimination rather than end it.
This decision has real consequences. Girls in California have lost records, scholarships, and spots on teams. They’ve been forced to compete against and share locker rooms with biological males. Some have suffered debilitating physical injuries while others watched their dreams slip away because state leaders refuse to enforce the most basic protections Title IX was designed to provide.
Even Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has called the situation “deeply unfair.” Yet his administration persists in squandering resources to defend California’s discriminatory policies—resources that could combat wildfires, affordability, and homelessness. And now, California’s actions threaten to cost our schools billions.
This is not a political debate; it’s a civil rights issue. The integrity of women’s sports is not negotiable. My colleagues and I will relentlessly pursue and deploy every tool available to enforce accountability and defend the rights of female athletes.
Rep. Kevin Kiley represents California’s 3rd District and chairs the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education. He leads congressional efforts to defend Title IX and protect women’s sports.
