A girls’ track meet in California became a political rally on Saturday, fueled by controversy over a transgender athlete excelling in girls’ high-jump, long-jump, and triple-jump events this season.
The rally followed a letter sent Thursday by three prominent Christian high schools—JSerra Catholic High School, Orange Lutheran High School, and Crean Lutheran High School—to the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), challenging its policy allowing biological males to compete in girls’ sports.
“For young women, CIF’s Gender Identity Policy means lost opportunities and an unlevel playing field. The consequences of this Policy will be felt this weekend as CIF’s state semi-final competitions for track and field events take place. Star female athletes, some of whom attend our schools, will soon compete in multiple track and field events against a male athlete who self-identifies as a female,” the letter stated.
“CIF’s Gender Identity Policy also fosters an environment that is increasingly hostile to religious member schools. CIF’s expectation that all faith-based schools facilitate the CIF Gender Identity Policy puts religious schools in the untenable position of adhering to the tenets of their faith in their classrooms and communities but practicing something contrary to their faith on their athletic fields.”
The letter noted that some female athletes from these schools considered boycotting Saturday’s semifinal prelims due to the transgender athlete’s participation.
Before the meet at Yorba Linda High School, athletes, parents, and school officials held a press conference organized by Sophia Lorey, outreach director for the California Family Council.
— Sophia Lorey (@SophiaSLorey) May 10, 2025
“No matter how hard we train, how many hours we put in, reality will always set in that men and women are different,” said Crean Lutheran’s Olivia Viola. “To me, this just doesn’t seem fair. CIF is doing nothing to protect us female athletes.”
The CIF faces a U.S. Department of Education investigation for potential Title IX violations related to its transgender athlete policies. California was among the first states to defy President Donald Trump’s Feb. 5 “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” executive order.
“The CIF provides students with the opportunity to belong, connect, and compete in education-based experiences in compliance with California law [Education Code section 221.5. (f)] which permits students to participate in school programs and activities, including athletic teams and competitions, consistent with the student’s gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the student’s records,” the CIF stated to Fox News Digital.
Governor Gavin Newsom, on his podcast, called trans athletes competing in girls’ sports “deeply unfair” but defended inclusive policies to show empathy for the transgender community.
The issue has sparked widespread debate in California over the past year, with some schools and residents opposing state inclusion policies. In late April, the Redlands Unified school board in San Bernardino adopted a policy to exclude transgender athletes from girls’ sports.
A Public Policy Institute of California survey found that most Californians, including 71% of public school parents, oppose biological males competing in women’s sports.
“Most Californians support requiring transgender athletes to compete on teams matching the sex they were assigned at birth,” the poll reported. “Solid majorities of adults (65%) and likely voters (64%) support requiring that transgender athletes compete on teams that match the sex they were assigned at birth, not the gender they identify with. An overwhelming majority of public school parents (71%) support such a requirement.”
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Starting the Day With a Scripture-Inspired Roast Helps Center Your Thoughts on Eternal Truths Amid Temporal Pressures
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