The largest school district in California has gone against its liberal state government led by Gavin Newsom and banned transgender students in sports.
California has remained protective of trans students in high school sports – even though Newsom has shown a change of heart on the issue in recent months.
Kern High School District – which is based in Bakersfield and serves more than 40,000 students across 31 schools – adopted a Title IX resolution that rejects the state policy.
They’re now the 16th district in the famously liberal-leaning Golden State to go against California’s policies on transgender athletes.
Chino Valley Unified School District Board of Education President Sonja Shaw authored the resolution, which originally passed in her district.
‘I authored this resolution to be the voice of our communities — to stand with our girls and protect the truth that should’ve never been silenced,’ Shaw told Fox News.
‘Boys are boys. Girls are girls. God made them beautiful just the way they are. It’s time to put fairness, truth, and common sense back into education.’
Newsom released a statement that essentially abandoned responsibility toward solving the issue.
The largest school district in California has gone against its liberal state government led by Gavin Newsom and banning transgender students in sports
Kern High School District – which is based in Bakersfield and serves more than 40,000 students across 31 schools – adopted a Title IX resolution that rejects the state policy
‘CIF is an independent nonprofit that governs high school sports. The California Department of Education is a separate constitutional office. Neither is under the Governor’s authority,’ the statement read.
The CIF is the California Interscholastic Federation which runs state high school sports.
‘CIF and the CDE have stated they follow existing state law — a law that was passed in 2013 and signed by Governor Jerry Brown (not Newsom) and in line with 21 other states. For the law to change, the legislature would need to send the Governor a bill. They have not.’
Newsom broke ranks with fellow Democrats in March by declaring that it was unfair that transgender athletes could take part it women’s sports.
It came during the launch of his new podcast, when he sat down with the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, at a time when a defeated Democratic Party is trying to find its feet amid the nation’s culture wars.
Kirk asks him: ‘Would you say no men in female sports?’
‘Well, I think it’s an issue of fairness. I completely agree with you on that,’ Newsom responds. ‘It is an issue of fairness. It’s deeply unfair.’
Newsom said he agreed with Kirk’s overall stance that it was unfair for women to compete with an athlete born a man.
Sonja Shaw, Chino Valley Unified School District Board of Education President and candidate for State Superintendent, authored the resolution, which originally passed in her district
Newsom broke ranks with fellow Democrats in March by declaring that it was unfair that transgender athletes could take part it women’s sports. It came during the launch of his new podcast, when he sat down with the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, at a time when a defeated Democratic Party is trying to find its feet amid the nations culture wars
But he went on to say that it was important to ensure that vulnerable communities were protected.
Trump blamed Newsom for the proliferation of biological men competing in women’s sports and issued an unprecedented threat in June.
The president said he would levy heavy fines against the liberal state in a dramatic escalation of his ‘war’ against transgender women taking on biologically female athletes.
‘A Biological Male competed in California Girls State Finals, WINNING BIG, despite the fact that they were warned by me not to do so,’ Trump raged in a Truth social post.
‘As Governor Gavin Newscum fully understands, large scale fines will be imposed!!!’ he added, deploying his favorite nickname for his Democratic foe.
The transgender athlete firestorm reignited after AB Hernandez, 16, a biological male who identifies as a female, crushed teenage girl rivals in a competition.
The high school junior took gold medals in the high jump and triple jump at the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) state finals held on May 30 and 31 at Buchanan High School in Clovis, 13 miles north of Fresno.
Hernandez, of Jurupa Valley in Riverside County just 60 miles east of Los Angeles, regularly – and, to most, unsurprisingly – trounces any and all female rivals.
Furious Trump has calling trans athletes taking part in girls’ sports ‘illegal’
Harmeet Dhillon wrote in a June 2 letter: ‘Scientific evidence shows that upsetting the historical status quo and forcing girls to compete against males would deprive them of athletic opportunities and benefits because of their sex’
California school authorities have until June 9 to respond to the letter and to ‘ensure compliance and avoid legal liability’
The latest victories follow Trump’s fuming online attacks against Hernandez, trans athletes in girls’ sports and California Governor Gavin Newsom, a favorite target of his ire.
In February, he signed the ‘Keep Men Out of Women’s Sports’ executive order.
Now the Civil Rights Division of the DoJ is gunning for the California Interscholastic Federation – the state’s governing body for high school sports – and the use of ‘unconstitutional’ Bylaw 300.D in state schools that permits trans boys to compete against girls.
It has come out swinging, demanding that school districts in the Golden State ignore the controversial statute.
The districts have been given a seven-day deadline of June 9 to inform DoJ officials of their response – and the clock is ticking towards a showdown.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhilon wrote to state school districts in a Monday, June 2 letter:
‘As a member of the California Interscholastic Federation (‘CIF’), and a political subdivision of the State of California, you are exposed to legal liability due to a policy CIF has enacted that violates federal law.
‘The Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex.
‘Knowingly depriving female students of athletic opportunities and benefits on the basis of their sex would constitute unconstitutional sex discrimination under the Equal Protection Clause.
‘Scientific evidence shows that upsetting the historical status quo and forcing girls to compete against males would deprive them of athletic opportunities and benefits because of their sex.
‘Therefore, you cannot implement a policy allowing males to compete alongside girls, because such a policy would deprive girls of athletic opportunities and benefits bases solely on their biological sex, in violation of the Equal Protection Clause.’
The letter continues, ‘As a political subdivision, you have the obligation to comply with the Equal Protection Clause.
Greg Burt, Vice President of the California Family Council, said in a 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.’
