A federal judge in California has thrown out a Trump administration lawsuit that sought to force the state to bar biological males from competing on girls’ school sports teams, dealing a setback to the Justice Department’s effort to enforce the president’s agenda on transgender athletes.
U.S. District Judge Cynthia Valenzuela, appointed by President Biden, dismissed the lawsuit, according to a report from The New York Post. The ruling leaves in place California’s controversial rules allowing transgender girls — biological males who identify as female — to compete in girls’ athletics.
The judge determined that the federal government had failed to adequately notify California that its federal funding could be jeopardized if schools continued to allow transgender girls to participate on girls’ teams, the Post reported.
Funding Threat Dismissed
The DOJ’s lawsuit had threatened to pull $44.3 billion in federal funding from the California Department of Education unless the state altered its policies. That enforcement mechanism is now off the table, at least for the time being.
The Justice Department said it is weighing an appeal, according to the Los Angeles Times.
“We are disappointed by the Court’s order, and remain committed to enforcing President Trump’s agenda preventing boys from playing in girls’ sports,” a DOJ spokesperson said, referring to transgender girls.
The dismissal does not resolve the underlying legal and cultural battle over the participation of male athletes in girls’ sports — a fight that has simmered for years and has now reached the federal courts.
Case Sparked by Track Championship
The litigation traces back to an incident in May that ignited controversy. AB Hernandez, a biological male who identifies as a girl, won a medal at the CIF State Track & Field Championships in Clovis, California. Hernandez placed first in qualifying for the long jump and competed in the finals for the high jump, long jump, and triple jump, according to an image caption from the Los Angeles Times.
The sight of Hernandez on the podium drew protests from parents who held signs with messages such as “No boys. No bias. Just fairness.” and “Save Girl’s Sports.” Other critics accused event officials of allowing males to compete, saying that when male athletes win, the events have been “stolen from our daughters.” Some transgender athletes, meanwhile, voiced support for Hernandez.
Key Figures Behind the Lawsuit
The legal challenge was launched by two longtime critics of California’s transgender student policies, according to the Times report. Harmeet Dhillon, a former conservative attorney in California who now heads the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, and Bill Essayli, a conservative state lawmaker who now leads the U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles, were involved in bringing the case.
The involvement of Dhillon and Essayli — both now in prominent federal roles — underscores the political significance of the case, which was widely seen as a test of the administration’s willingness to use the power of the federal purse to push back against state policies on transgender athletes.
Newsom Keeps His Distance
California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, has stayed out of the fray. As Breitbart News has reported, the governor has declined to take responsibility for the rule allowing male athletes to compete as women, saying he didn’t create the policy and that the state legislature could change it if it wanted to.
The judge’s decision means that, for now, California schools can continue to admit biological males on girls’ teams, despite the federal government’s objections. The broader question of whether such policies violate federal law or Title IX remains unresolved, and the DOJ’s potential appeal could carry the case to the Ninth Circuit and beyond.
The dismissal is a notable early setback for the Trump administration’s legal push on the issue, but it is unlikely to be the last word. The Justice Department’s stated commitment to the president’s agenda suggests that the fight over girls’ sports — and the rights of transgender athletes — will continue in the courts, in statehouses, and on the campaign trail.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2026/09/02/california-judge-dismisses-trump-doj-lawsuit-and-allows-schools-to-still-admit-biological-males-on-girls-teams/