The Trump administration on 9 July sued the California Department of Education and the California Interscholastic Federation, alleging the state’s policy allowing transgender girls to compete on girls’ school sports teams violates Title IX’s prohibition on sex discrimination in federally funded education programs. Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, the complaint seeks declaratory and injunctive relief and threatens to withhold federal money. The Education Department says California has been allocated about $44.3 billion in federal education funds for fiscal 2025, with roughly $3.8 billion still available for drawdown. The action follows a 25 June finding that the state was out of compliance and a 10-day ultimatum that California rejected earlier this week. Education Secretary Linda McMahon and Attorney General Pamela Bondi contend the state’s rules “demean” female athletes and ignore biological differences, citing recent victories by transgender track athlete A.B. Hernandez. Governor Gavin Newsom—who is not named as a defendant—argues California is following a 2013 state law and says no court has endorsed the federal interpretation of Title IX. The case escalates a nationwide clash over transgender participation in scholastic sports, coming after similar federal actions against Maine and other states.