Happy New Year 2025

Tag: athlete

CA Christian girls’ team forced to face trans athlete in playoff basketball game

As California continues to defy President Donald Trump’s recent executive order forbidding trans athletes from competing in girls’ sports, the state’s residents will see the ramifications of that decision play out on a basketball court this week.

An upcoming high school girls’ basketball playoff game will feature an openly transgender athlete playing for San Francisco Waldorf against Cornerstone Christian on Saturday. The same trans athlete played for Waldorf’s girls’ volleyball team this past fall, prompting Stone Ridge Christian to forfeit a playoff match on Nov. 16.

However, Cornerstone Christian currently intends to play its upcoming game against the trans athlete.

“As long as the parents are on board with playing the game, we will support the girls’ hard work this season and play the game,” Cornerstone Christian athletic director Madison Alexander told Fox News Digital.

The team came to this decision after a meeting on Tuesday afternoon.

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The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) is currently under investigation by Trump’s Department of Education (DOE) and Office of Civil Rights (OCR) for its defiance in following the president’s executive order as it continues to instruct schools to allow trans athletes to compete as women.

The DOE’s deputy general counsel, Candice Jackson, told Fox News Digital that the department will be monitoring the state’s girls’ basketball playoffs as it conducts its investigation.

“CIF sets the parameters under which schools compete in these playoffs, and they have responsibility as recipients of federal funds to comply with Title IX. OCR’s investigation into CIF is continuing as it appears that CIF’s disregard for Title IX is continuing,” Jackson said.

The CIF has not responded to a request for comment on the situation involving the upcoming playoff game. The CIF previously told Fox News Digital that it will continue to follow state legislation on the issue of trans athletes that has been in effect since 2014.

“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 statement reads.

TEEN GIRLS OPEN UP ON TRANS ATHLETE SCANDAL THAT TURNED THEIR HIGH SCHOOL INTO A CULTURE WAR BATTLEGROUND

A law called AB 1266 has been in effect since 2014 and gives California students at scholastic and collegiate levels the right to “participate in sex-segregated school programs and activities, including athletic teams and competitions, and use facilities consistent with his or her gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the pupil’s records.”

Many California residents have protested and threatened lawsuits against the state for its refusal to comply with Trump’s order.

On Friday, California lawmakers introduced three bills in the state legislature aimed to combat trans inclusion. One bill, which was introduced by Assemblymember Bill Essayli, focused specifically on sports. His bill would require that students use all school facilities to only play on sports teams based on their biological sex and not their gender identity, reversing AB 1266.

“We know the state of California is going to do everything it can to resist and avoid compliance with federal law, so it’s our role to try to force change at the state and local level,” Essayli said at a press conference outside the state Capitol building in Sacramento on Friday.

California State Assembly member Kate Sanchez previously announced on Jan. 7 that she is introducing her own bill to ban trans athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s sports.

California’s enabling of trans athletes to compete with girls and women in the state has resulted in multiple controversies over the last year alone, as one lawsuit has already been filed against California Attorney General Rob Bonta.

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Parents at Martin Luther King High School in Riverside, California, expanded their lawsuit to include Bonta after a girls’ cross-country runner lost her varsity spot to a trans athlete, and then the school administrators allegedly compared the girls’ “Save Girls’ Sports” T-shirts to swastikas.

In San Diego, a middle school was recently thrust into local controversy because of a transgender student using the girls’ locker room. San Elijo Middle School provided a statement to Fox News Digital, crediting its enabling of the transgender student to access the girls’ locker room to the school’s obligation of following state law.

San Francisco Waldorf found itself in a national controversy over the subject after the volleyball playoffs back in November when Stone Ridge Christian forfeited. Former NCAA swimmer and OutKick contributor Riley Gaines then honored Stone Ridge Christian for its decision to forfeit with a ceremony at their high school in early December.

Trump’s executive order vows to cut federal funding for any institution that enables trans athletes to compete against girls and women. According to USA Facts, California public schools receive about $16.8 billion per year, which is 13.9% or one in every seven dollars of public school funding, which is well above the national average.

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Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.

February 19, 2025
Former NCAA trans athlete ‘willing to’ sit with Trump amid calls for title to be stripped

CeCe Telfer won an NCAA title as a transgender woman in 2019, and recently said on CNN that the “anti-trans rhetoric has become louder, more in my face” ever since President Donald Trump was sworn in last month.

Earlier this month, the president signed an executive order that would prohibit transgender girls and women from competing against biological females in athletics. The Department of Education has also called for prior titles won by trans women to be stripped.

“Prior to this set-in-stone administration, I woke up every day and I faced adversaries when I leave my house. Now, I wake up every day and I have to make sure that I make it home alive,” Telfer said, adding that “each of my identities” as a Black trans woman is a “target.”

“It’s really sad to see people go out of their way to make it known you don’t belong here. But every day, I wake up, I decide to go out and live my life, (it) proves that I do belong here. And just existing is resilience.

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CeCe Telfer of Franklin Pierce wins the 400 meter hurdles during the Division II Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Championships held at Javelina Stadium on May 25, 2019 in Kingsville, Texas. (Rudy Gonzalez/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

“It’s sad to see that one of the most powerful countries in the world would ostracize and de-humanize a group of people, a small group of athletes, too, but also as transgender women overall. I’ve done nothing wrong but try to be a good, contributing member of society,” Telfer added. “I pay my taxes. I go to school. I try to leave the world better than when I came into it. And if the president doesn’t see us, then we’ll make ourselves be seen and known with goodness and love, because that’s all we have to offer.”

As the Trump administration continues to fight to keep biological males out of women’s sports, Telfer is “willing to sit down” with “Trump himself” about his order and transgenderism in sports.

“I’m willing to sit down with the IOC, the USATF, the NCAA, with any of my international federations, even the Trump administration, Trump himself, if he wants to sit down with me and talk and have a human conversation and see me. I feel as though social media is very loud, and just to have a human sit across from you and have a conversation with them, it’s very different. So I’m willing to have a conversation if they’re willing to give me that chance,” Telfer said.

Cece Telfer attends Corey O’Brien’s “Everyone Loves Corey” at The Comedy Chateau on November 02, 2023 in North Hollywood, California. (Victoria Sirakova/Getty Images for Corey O’Brien)

MASSACHUSETTS REP BLASTS REPUBLICANS FOR ‘WEAPONIZING’ TRANSGENDER ATHLETES: ‘POLITICS AT ITS WORST’

“I need some explanation as to why you want to completely eradicate us from society when we’ve done nothing wrong. Think about the humanity and think about the younger kids like me who have doctors confirming their gender, have people behind them. Even if he wants to have a team go around with me and see my day-to-day life and what I go through as a transgender female athlete, all for it.”

Telfer added that despite the perceived increase in anti-trans rhetoric, and calls for titles won by trans athletes to be revoked, the title Telfer won is even more vindicated, “because it makes me feel like not only was history made then, but it’ll stay in the books and be reminded that policies and orders are not forever, but our resilience is.”

“If somebody’s truly a part of the Department of Education, they would be smart and educated enough to know that something like that, that’s not how history works, and that’s not how the direction of progressiveness works. You can’t take back history,” Telfer said, adding the NCAA was “pressured” to change their rules and follow suit with Trump’s order.

“They were on the right side of history — I don’t know what happened,” Telfer added.

US President Donald Trump signs the No Men in Women’s Sports Executive Order into law in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on February 5, 2025. (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP)

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Telfer was ruled ineligible to compete at the U.S. Olympic trials in 2021, two years after taking home the 2019 Division II Women’s 400m hurdles title.

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February 18, 2025
Title IX complaint filed against RIT for rostering trans athlete Sadie Schreiner

The Concerned Women for America (CWA) has filed a Title IX complaint against the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) for allowing trans athlete Sadie Schreiner to compete on the women’s track and field team, Fox News Digital has learned.

The CWA has filed its complaint with the U.S. Department of Education, which has recently launched investigations into other institutions for potential Title IX violations, including San Jose State University, the University of Pennsylvania, and high school athletic associations in Massachussetts, Minnesota and California.

CWA CEO and President Penny Nance provided a statement to Fox News Digital, elaborating on the complaint.

“Rochester Institute of Technology continues to violate Title IX anti-discrimination rules for male and female teams by rostering a trans-identifying male on its women’s track team. RIT makes the excuse it is following the NCAA’s Transgender Participation Policy (TPP) but that policy is not federal law and, in fact, does not comply with Title IX. The NCAA does not have the authority to re-define the meaning of sex under federal law for participation on male and female teams,” Nance said.

“Though RIT publicly claims it is following NCAA policy, its duty under the law is to follow Title IX. Educational institutions cannot hide behind the NCAA for its willful violations of women’s civil rights. Neither the NCAA’s previous policy nor its revised policy announced on February 6, 2025, fully protects women’s sports for women only as required under Title IX regulations which differentiate male and female teams on the basis of sex.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to RIT for comment.

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Sadie Schreiner races to qualify in the 400m race at the 2024 NCAA DIII outdoor track and field championships at Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium on May 24, 2024, in Myrtle Beach, SC. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

An RIT spokesperson previously told Fox News Digital that Schreiner isn’t participating in future events, as the program is complying with the NCAA’s new policy that reflects President Donald Trump’s recent executive order that bans trans athletes from women’s sports.

“We continue to follow the NCAA participation policy for transgender student-athletes following the Trump administration’s executive order. Sadie is not participating in the next meet,” the spokesperson said.

However, RIT has not confirmed to Fox News Digital whether Schreiner has been removed from the roster and is no longer practicing with the team. Schreiner still has a player profile page on the team’s official website.

The NCAA’s policy also states that a biological male can still practice on a women’s team and “receive benefits.”

“A student-athlete assigned male at birth may practice on an NCAA women’s team and receive all other benefits applicable to student-athletes,” the policy reads.

President Donald Trump signed the “No Men in Women’s Sports” executive order last week, which cuts federal funding for any institution that allows trans athletes to compete in women’s sports.

Schreiner currently holds multiple school records in women’s track, including as RIT’s women’s indoor track record holder in the 200-, 300-, and 400-meter dashes,5 and RIT’s women’s outdoor record holder in the 200- and 400- meter dashes.

Schreiner has been a prominent controversial figure in women’s track and field this past year, especially after an appearance at the 2024 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championship in May.

TEEN GIRLS OPEN UP ON TRANS ATHLETE SCANDAL THAT TURNED THEIR HIGH SCHOOL INTO A CULTURE WAR BATTLEGROUND

Earlier that month, Schreiner competed at the Liberty League Championship and won both the women’s 200- and 400-meter, breaking the 400-meter record in the process. Schreiner would have finished last by more than two seconds if the athlete had put up the same performance in the men’s competition.

Recently, in late January, Schreiner bragged after winning an event against female opponents.

“Not the race I was looking for at all this week, my spikes nearly fell off on the turn and with a poor start my time wasn’t nearly what I wanted,” the RIT runner wrote in an Instagram post.

“The good news is that the season just started, and I’m going to leave everything on the track at nationals,” Schreiner added with a transgender pride flag emoji.

On Jan. 17, Schreiner took first place in the 200- and 400-meter dashes at the Brockport Friday Night Rust Buster, taking top spots over two female seniors. In the 200-meter dash Schreiner beat RIT teammate Caroline Hill by 1.5 seconds and took first place honors in the 400-meter dash from Brockport’s Marissa Wise by nearly 3.5 seconds. Schreiner’s results achieved automatic qualification for the All-Atlantic Regional Track and Field Championships.

On Jan. 24, Schreiner took first place in the 200-meter dash at the RIT Friday Meet, beating out Liberty League junior Lexi Rodriguez of Brockport with an even faster time. On Jan. 30, Schreiner took first place in the 200- and 400-meter dashes against Liberty League opponents.

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Sadie Schreiner sports a transgender flag before heading to the awards stand after finishing 3rd in the finals of the 200m race at the 2024 NCAA DIII outdoor track and field championships at Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium on May 25, 2024, in Myrtle Beach, SC. (Photo by Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images). (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Schreiner also made it a point to speak out against states and colleges that were not offering the trans athlete a full scholarship when Schreiner wanted to transfer, in December. The athlete blamed laws in 25 states that prohibit trans athletes from competing with girls and women.

“Among all the hurdles transfers usually have, there is an extra layer because it is trans, 50% of the country banned me from participating and that meant I couldn’t attend any of those colleges even if they reached out to me with a full ride,” Schreiner said.

“It also became clear that states that did, no matter how adamant the coaches were to have me on their teams, the college administrations would usually stop them from allowing me to participate.”

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Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.

February 14, 2025
Trans athlete Sadie Schreiner not competing for RIT women’s track team after Trump’s executive order

Transgender track and field runner Sadie Schreiner is not competing in future events for Rochester Institute of Technology’s (RIT) women’s track and field team amid the NCAA changing its gender eligibility policy.

An RIT spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the program is complying with the NCAA’s new policy that reflects President Donald Trump’s recent executive order that bans trans athletes from women’s sports.

“We continue to follow the NCAA participation policy for transgender student-athletes following the Trump administration’s executive order. Sadie is not participating in the next meet,” the spokesperson said.

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Sadie Schreiner puts a transgender flag in her hair before heading to the awards stand at the NCAA DIII outdoor track and field championships on May 25, 2024, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

The NCAA officially changed its gender eligibility policies to ban all biological males from women’s sports on Feb. 6, one day after Trump signed the order.

“A student-athlete assigned male at birth may not compete on a women’s team,” the new policy reads.

However, the policy also states that a biological male can still practice on a women’s team and “receive benefits.”

“A student-athlete assigned male at birth may practice on an NCAA women’s team and receive all other benefits applicable to student-athletes,” the policy reads.

RIT has not confirmed to Fox News Digital whether Schreiner has been removed from the roster and is no longer practicing with the team. Schreiner still has a player profile page on the team’s official website.

Schreiner has been a controversial figure in women’s track and field this year after an appearance at the 2024 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championship in May.

There, Schreiner finished last in the 400 meter, but still occupied a spot in the competition that could have gone to a biological female.

TEEN GIRLS OPEN UP ON TRANS ATHLETE SCANDAL THAT TURNED THEIR HIGH SCHOOL INTO A CULTURE WAR BATTLEGROUND

Earlier that month, Schreiner competed at the Liberty League Championship, and won both the women’s 200- and 400-meter, breaking the 400-meter record in the process. Schreiner would have finished last by more than two seconds if the athlete put up the same performance in the men’s competition.

Recently, in late January, Schreiner bragged after winning an event against female opponents.

“Not the race I was looking for at all this week, my spikes nearly fell off on the turn and with a poor start my time wasn’t nearly what I wanted,” the RIT runner wrote in an Instagram post.

“The good news is that the season just started, and I’m going to leave everything on the track at nationals,” Schreiner added with a transgender pride flag emoji.

Schreiner also made it a point to speak out against states and colleges that were not offering the trans athlete a full scholarship when Schreiner wanted to transfer, in December. The athlete blamed laws in 25 states that prohibit trans athletes from competing with girls and women.

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Sadie Schreiner races to qualify in the 400m race at the NCAA DIII outdoor track and field championships on May 24, 2024, in Myrtle Beach. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

“Among all the hurdles transfers usually have, there is an extra layer because it is trans, 50% of the country banned me from participating and that meant I couldn’t attend any of those colleges even if they reached out to me with a full ride,” Schreiner said.

“It also became clear that states that did, no matter how adamant the coaches were to have me on their teams, the college administrations would usually stop them from allowing me to participate.”

Now, Schreiner likely won’t be able to compete on any women’s college teams throughout the country with the NCAA’s new policy in place.

However, Schreiner would be able to compete on a men’s team, per the new policy.

“Regardless of sex assigned at birth or gender identity, a student-athlete may participate (practice and competition) in NCAA men’s sports, assuming they meet all other NCAA eligibility requirements,” the new policy reads.

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Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.

February 13, 2025
Trump Education Department launches Title IX probes into 2 blue states allegedly ignoring trans athlete order

The United States Department of Education has launched Title IX investigations into athletic associations in California and Minnesota after they said they would ignore President Donald Trump’s executive order to keep transgender athletes out of girls and women’s sports.

The Minnesota State High School League announced Thursday it will continue to allow transgender athletes to compete against girls despite Trump’s executive order to probibit them from doing so.

That came just days after the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) said it will continue to follow the state’s law that allows athletes to participate as whichever gender they identify as.

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Donald Trump (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

“The Minnesota State High School League and the California Interscholastic Federation are free to engage in all the meaningless virtue-signaling that they want, but at the end of the day they must abide by federal law,” said Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights.

“(The Office of Civil Rights’) Chicago and San Francisco regional offices will conduct directed investigations into both organizations to ensure that female athletes in these states are treated with the dignity, respect and equality that the Trump administration demands. I would remind these organizations that history does not look kindly on entities and states that actively opposed the enforcement of federal civil rights laws that protect women and girls from discrimination and harassment.”

The Department of Education added that state laws do not override federal anti-discrimination laws, so the associations are subject to investigations.

Trump signed the executive order on National Girls and Women in Sports Day, which celebrates female athletes in women’s sports and those committed to providing equal access to sports for all females.

President Donald Trump signs the No Men in Women’s Sports executive order into law in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., Feb. 5, 2025. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP)

The order states that “it is the policy of the United States to rescind all funds from educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities” and to take “all appropriate action to affirmatively protect all-female athletic opportunities and all-female locker rooms and thereby provide the equal opportunity guaranteed by Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972.”

Prior to Trump signing the order Wednesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said part of the motivation behind Trump’s executive order would be to create a “pressure campaign” for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and NCAA to follow and prevent transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports.

In response to Trump’s order, the NCAA changed its policy, in place since 2010, to disallow transgender athletes from competing against women, requiring them to compete based on their birth gender.

During Trump’s ceremony at the White House to sign the executive order, he announced that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem will prohibit any transgender athletes attempting to compete as women from entering the country for the Olympics in 2028.

Former President Donald Trump is joined onstage by Riley Gaines at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas, Texas, Aug. 6, 2022. (Reuters/Brian Snyder)

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The United Nations released study findings saying nearly 900 biological females have fallen short of winning medals because they lost to transgender athletes.

Minnesota, governed by Kamala Harris’ running mate, Tim Walz, was home to a Supreme Court case in which a transgender powerlifter was continuing in a fight to compete against biological women.

Fox News’ Jackson Thompson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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February 13, 2025
Tim Walz’s daughter rants against Trump’s transgender athlete executive order

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s daughter, Hope Walz, went viral this week for a series of TikToks criticizing President Donald Trump’s executive order banning transgender athletes from women’s and girls’ sports.

Walz posted her first video about the issue Saturday, when she called the order “a dangerous precedent.”

“It is dangerous for the trans community, women, minorities, anyone who is not a straight white man,” she said in the video. “We are talking about human beings, and the president of the United States is targeting them because he thinks it will gain him political points or whatever.”

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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, wife Gwen Walz, son Gus and daughter Hope stand onstage at the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago Aug. 21, 2024. (Reuters/Mike Segar)

She suggested the issue of trans athletes in women’s and girls sports “is not real.”

“I have never felt unsafe around a trans person. I have felt unsafe around men. So, maybe let’s deal with that,” she said.

Walz posted a follow-up TikTok addressing the issue Wednesday. In that video, she suggested Trump’s Cabinet members have “allegations.” She also made claims that more of Trump’s 15 Cabinet members have “credible allegations” than there are trans athletes in high school sports. Walz did not clarify which members or which allegations she was referring to.

“Transphobia and transphobes are so crazy to me because, like, the whole argument is, ‘Oh, we’re protecting women. We need to protect women.’ But then they turn around and vote for a literal felon, who, he himself as well as many of the people closest to him have credible allegations,” she said. “Like, the amount of people with credible allegations in the Cabinet is more than trans kids trying to play high school sports.”

HOW TRANSGENDERISM IN SPORTS SHIFTED THE 2024 ELECTION AND IGNITED A NATIONAL COUNTERCULTURE

However, the United Nations released study findings saying that nearly 900 biological females have fallen short of victories because they have been defeated by transgender athletes.

The study, “Violence against women and girls in sports,” said more than 600 athletes did not medal in more than 400 competitions in 29 different sports, totaling over 890 medals, according to information obtained up to March 30.

“The replacement of the female sports category with a mixed-sex category has resulted in an increasing number of female athletes losing opportunities, including medals, when competing against males,” the report said.

Tim Walz was a vocal advocate for transgender and LGBTQ+ rights as Kamala Harris’ running mate in the 2024 election.

The issue of transgender athletes competing with girls and women proved to be an issue that affected the outcome of an election in which Harris and Walz lost in a landslide.

Shortly after November’s election, a national exit poll conducted by the Concerned Women for America legislative action committee found that 70% of moderate voters saw the issue of “Donald Trump’s opposition to transgender boys and men playing girls’ and women’s sports and of transgender boys and men using girls’ and women’s bathrooms” as important to them.

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And 6% said it was the most important issue of all, while 44% said it was “very important.”

A recent New York Times/Ipsos survey found the vast majority of Americans, including a majority of Democrats, don’t think transgender athletes should be permitted to compete in women’s sports. Of the 2,128 people polled, 79% said biological males who identify as women should not be allowed to participate in women’s sports.

Of the 1,025 people who identified as Democrats or leaning Democrat, 67% said transgender athletes should not be allowed to compete with women.

Walz’s home state of Minnesota is one of the states that has refused to comply with Trump’s executive order.

The Minnesota State High School League announced Thursday it will continue to allow transgender athletes to compete against girls despite Trump’s executive order to ban them from doing so.

The Minnesota organization said in an email to member schools that participation by, and eligibility of, transgender athletes is controlled by the Minnesota Human Rights Act, which includes protections for LGBTQ+ people, and the Minnesota Constitution.

“The Minnesota State High School League, similar to other youth sports organizations, is subject to state anti-discrimination laws, which prohibit discrimination based on gender identity,” the organization said in a statement. “Therefore, students in Minnesota are allowed to participate consistent with their gender identity.”

California is another state that has refused to comply with Trump’s order.

The decision by California not to comply with Trump’s order has prompted backlash and even protests and threats of lawsuits.

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Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.

February 13, 2025
California families celebrate Trump administration’s probe into state’s refusal to follow trans athlete order

President Donald Trump’s Department of Education plans to investigate California’s public school athletic association, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), for not complying with his executive order to ban transgender athletes from girls sports.

The California Family Council (CFC) praised the decision.

“The California Family Council celebrates the U.S. Department of Education’s decision to launch a Title IX investigation into the CIF for its role in allowing males to compete in girls sports,” the statement said.

“For too long, CIF has turned a blind eye to the concerns of female athletes, parents and coaches, prioritizing radical gender ideology over fairness, safety and the integrity of women’s athletics. This investigation is a crucial step toward restoring justice in high school sports.”

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Students at Martin Luther King High School in Riverside, Calif., wear T-shirts that say “Save Girls Sports” to protest a transgender athlete on the cross-country team. (Courtesy of Sophia Lorey)

CFC Outreach Director Sophia Lorey said the Trump administration’s intervention has made her cry “tears of joy.”

“As a four-year CIF varsity athlete and a three-year captain, I have been fighting for all girls to have the same athletic opportunities I had,” Lorey said. “CIF’s policies have undermined decades of hard-fought victories for female athletes, and it’s time for them to answer for the harm they’ve caused. CIF has ignored these injustices for too long, and we hope this investigation will finally force them to put the safety and fairness of girls over the feelings of confused boys.”

Lorey has advocated for girls affected by transgender athlete inclusion in California for three years.

Lorey intervened at Martin Luther King High School in Riverside, California, in the fall, when a national controversy erupted over a transgender athlete who took a varsity spot from a girls’ cross-country runner.

TEEN GIRLS OPEN UP ON TRANS ATHLETE SCANDAL THAT TURNED THEIR HIGH SCHOOL INTO A CULTURE WAR BATTLEGROUND

That girl, Taylor Starling, then took matters into her own hands when she and teammate Kaitlyn Slavin made T-shirts that said “Save GIrls Sports” and started wearing them to school. They then filed a lawsuit against the school district when administrators allegedly scolded them for wearing the shirts and compared them to swastikas.

Starling’s father, Ryan Starling, expressed his gratitude to the Trump administration for taking action to investigate the state’s defiance of the recent executive order.

“Our family can’t thank President Trump enough. We are so excited to see common sense prevailing. This has been a long-fought battle for so many people on so many fronts. The battle is not over in the state of California, but each day we are moving a step closer because of so many courageous people like Taylor and Kaitlyn,” Ryan Starling told Fox News Digital.

Even school administrators who work within the jurisdiction of the CIF are celebrating the DOE’s investigation.

Transgender athlete supporter Kyle Harp, left, of Riverside, holds a pride flag as “Save Girls Sports” supporters Lori Lopez and her father, Pete Pickering, listen to debate over the rights of transgender athletes outside the Riverside Unified School District Dec. 19, 2024. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

Chino Unified School Board President Sonja Shaw told Fox News Digital she is calling for consequences for all the institutions that have allowed transgender athletes to participate in girls sports.

“As a mother of two CIF athletes, school board president and advocate for children, I have seen firsthand the devastating impact of these policies. Girls are being pushed aside, their safety is compromised and their opportunities are being stolen,” Shaw said.

“This investigation is a critical step in the right direction, but we need real, decisive action. CIF — and any entity that violates Title IX — must face consequences, including the withdrawal of funding.

“We warned you, CIF. Now, face the consequences.”

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Amber French, a women’s swimmer at California Baptist University, argued the CIF allowing transgender athletes to compete with girls will deprive biological female athletes of college opportunities and jeopardizes their safety.

“If you allow males to compete in female sports, less females will have the opportunity to go to CIF and swim in front of college coaches to get recruited,” French told Fox News Digital. “Allowing males who do not want to compete against their sex compete in female races takes away from all the hard-working female athletes. There are separate categories for a reason.

“This investigation is the first step to protect the integrity, safety and opportunities of female sports.”

The CIF told Fox News Digital it has been notified of the forthcoming investigation.

“While the CIF has been notified of the investigation, we do not comment on pending investigations,” a CIF spokesperson said.

Trump’s DOE will also be investigating Minnesota’s high school athletics association for refusing to comply with the executive order.

The DOE is also investigating San Jose State University, the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association for separate incidents involving transgender athletes competing on a women’s or girls sports team.

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Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.

February 13, 2025
NYC official removes post supporting Trump’s trans athlete order after ‘guidance’ from mayor’s chief of staff

As some states have refused to comply with President Donald Trump’s recent executive order that bans trans athletes in girls’ and women’s sports, New York is at an impasse over the issue.

The New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) provided a statement to Fox News Digital saying it has advised schools to comply with current state law that allows trans athletes to compete with girls, but is gathering public input before making a final decision.

“While we await further clarification, I strongly advise that NYSPHSAA member schools continue to adhere to current New York state anti-discrimination laws, which allow students to participate on interscholastic teams that best align with their gender identity,” NYSPHSAA Executive Director Dr. Robert J. Zayas said.

“I am actively working with state officials to assess the implications of this executive order and determine appropriate next steps. Yesterday, I spoke with Dr. Betty Rosa, commissioner of the New York State Education Department (NYSED), regarding this matter. She has requested that I collect any questions or concerns from the field, which she will then discuss with the Attorney General’s Office to provide us with guidance and direction.”

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

However, as Zayas advised New York schools to continue enabling trans inclusion, an official in New York City spoke out about her support for Trump’s executive order.

Director of New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ Office of Sports, Wellness and Recreation Jasmine Ray stated her position in favor of following Trump’s order on her Instagram Stories over the weekend, via Gothamist.

“To those asking about my position, as Director of NYC Sports & Rec, I stand with the recent executive order reinforcing the importance of fairness in women’s sports,” she wrote.

However, the outlet reported Ray later took down her story and says she deleted it at the “guidance” of the mayor’s chief of staff, Camille Joseph Varlack.

“I take full responsibility for the error in judgment,” Ray told Gothamist. “I am committed to maintaining the separation between my personal beliefs and my professional responsibilities.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to Adams’ office for comment.

Since Trump’s order went into effect last Wednesday, multiple states and high school athletic associations have made it clear that they won’t enforce it, and will continue protecting trans athletes in girls’ sports.

HOW TRANSGENDERISM IN SPORTS SHIFTED THE 2024 ELECTION AND IGNITED A NATIONAL COUNTERCULTURE

California is the most prominent.

The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) said it will continue to follow the state’s law that allows athletes to participate as whichever gender they identify as, a spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

“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,” a CIF statement said.

The decision has prompted backlash and even protests and threats of lawsuits by California residents.

Minnesota and Massachusetts are among the other states that have indicated they will continue protecting trans athletes in girls’ sports.

A recent New York Times/Ipsos survey found the vast majority of Americans, including a majority of Democrats, do not think transgender athletes should be permitted to compete in women’s sports. Of the 2,128 people polled, 79% said biological males who identify as women should not be allowed to participate in women’s sports.

Of the 1,025 people who identified as Democrats or leaning Democrat, 67% said transgender athletes should not be allowed to compete with women.

Democratic opposition to GOP efforts to restrict trans inclusion has alienated some longtime Democrat voters. In January, when the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, all but two Democratic House members voted against it.

Prominent Democrats, including House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Vt., Rep. Suzanne Bonamic, D-Ore., Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., and Rep. Whip Clark, D-Mass., argued that the bill would “empower” child predators to give genital examinations to young girls. There was no language in the bill that suggested genital examinations would be necessary.

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The argument alienated some of the party’s loyal voters, who have unregistered as Democrats in response.

“That just made me very upset because it screamed out lack of integrity, lack of honesty,” prominent law professor and lifelong Democrat Gary Francione told Fox News Digital “This is the way you fight battles? By trying to insult other people who oppose you and disagree with and insinuate that they’re child molesters or pedophiles? It seems to me you’ve lost the game… I don’t know how they’re ever going to come back from this.”

Francione has a lifelong network of other Democrats in the field of law and other industries, and says many of them share his beliefs and will also be unregistering from the party.

“I can say confidently of the people I know who are Democrats who I’ve spoken to, the vast majority of them are very unhappy about all of this stuff and feel that the party has lost its way,” Francione said. “I know a couple who said they are going to [unregister].”

Other Democratic lawmakers have also spoken out against the party’s platform of enabling trans athletes to compete against girls and women. They include Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, Reps. Colin Allred, Vicente Gonzalez and Henry Cuellar, of Texas, Rep. Mary Peltola, of Alaska, and Rep. Tom Suozzi, of New York.

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Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.

February 11, 2025
Nike, NFL women’s sports Super Bowl commercials draw backlash amid national trans athlete controversies

As America’s sports world remains locked in an ongoing culture war over the presence of trans athletes in women’s sports, this year’s Super Bowl ad slate became a battleground.

Two commercials in particular drew the ire of many who advocate for protecting female athletes from trans inclusion.

One ad that drew the outrage was directly from the NFL and boasted one of the longest run times of the entire night. The league’s “Leave The Past Behind” spot, which intended to promote the spread of girls’ flag football to more high schools across the country, offended some with its portrayal of a female flag football player outperforming male players.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Many critics took issue with the commercial for promoting imagery of females competing evenly and more superior to males. The notion that female athletes are not at a physical disadvantage compared to their male counterparts is often used in arguments promoting trans inclusion in women’s sports.

The women’s advocacy group “Women Are Real” slammed the ad for promoting that notion in a reply on X.

“I hate this ad with all my heart. We know we can’t compete against a team of men. It’s a lie. And it’s a slap in the face of every phenomenal female athlete. Women’s sports is about female excellence. Leave the men out of this,” the advocacy group’s X account wrote in response, and later posted more replies.

“Support your daughter’s development as a female athlete. Don’t compare her to boys this will only discourage her. This ad is a lie that serves as a slap in the face of all hardworking female athletes. Women’s sports is about female excellence. Leave men out of it.”

Marshi Smith, the co-founder of the legal advocacy group the Independent Council on Women’s Sports, called out the NFL for its ad in her own post on X.

“Why is the world obsessed with showing women playing sports against men?” Smith wrote. “Give us our own [God d—] sports and stop comparing us.”

Casey Caston, founder of the marriage-counseling website Marriage 365, criticized the ad for showing “unrealistic” imagery.

“I love women’s sports, but this is completely unrealistic and disrespects gender differences that exist,” Caston wrote on X, later adding, “Women weren’t created to do everything a man CAN do. Women were created to do everything a man CAN’T do.”

Still, the commercial was praised by other social media users for its message of trying to spread girls’ flag football to other schools, overlooking its imagery.

The other commercial that outraged advocates opposed to trans inclusion came from Nike, but for a deeper-seated reason.

The sportswear juggernaut debuted its first Super Bowl commercial in 27 years, featuring a star-studded lineup of women athletes including Caitlin Clark, Sha’Carri Richardson, Jordan Chiles and JuJu Watkins.

However, many critics were quick to call out Nike for its official company stance in supporting trans athletes competing in women’s sports.

Former NCAA swimmer and current conservative activist Riley Gaines slammed Nike’s ad, while in the same breath promoted the startup sportswear ad XX-XY Athletics, which specializes in activist apparel with messaging protecting female athletes from trans inclusion.

XX-XY ATHLETICS LOOKS TO REDEFINE MAINSTREAM IN 2025, EYEING WOMEN’S SPORTS STARS AND HIT VIRAL ADS

“Ditch Nike Support XX-XY Athletics,” Gaines wrote in a re-share of the commercial on X. Gaines is the first brand ambassador for XX-XY Athletics.

The startup company’s founder, former U.S. gymnast and Levi’s executive Jennifer Sey, also called out Nike for the ad while promoting her own brand in a series of posts on X.

“You’re so full of it. The only thing female athletes are told they can’t do is stand up for the integrity of their sports, for keeping men out of women’s sports. Literally, that’s the only thing,” Sey wrote in response to the commercial on X.

Famed sports broadcaster and journalist Michelle Tafoya also called out Nike while promoting Sey’s brand in a series of posts on X.

“Nike is too late to this party. And they’re stuck in stereotypical language from about 25 years ago,” Tafoya wrote, later adding, “What a waste of ad dollars.”

Data suggests the vast majority of Americans, including most Democrats, are opposed to allowing trans athletes to compete in women’s and girls’ sports.

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A recent New York Times/Ipsos survey found the vast majority of Americans, including a majority of Democrats, do not think transgender athletes should be permitted to compete in women’s sports. Of the 2,128 people polled, 79% said biological males who identify as women should not be allowed to participate in women’s sports.

Of the 1,025 people who identified as Democrats or leaning Democrat, 67% said transgender athletes should not be allowed to compete with women.

Nearly 70% of Americans say biological men should not be permitted to compete in women’s sports, according to a Gallup poll last year.

In June, a survey conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago asked respondents whether transgender athletes of both sexes should be permitted to participate in sports leagues that correspond to their preferred gender identity instead of their biological sex. In that survey, 65% answered that it should never or rarely be allowed. When those polled were asked specifically about adult transgender female athletes competing in women’s sports, 69% opposed it.

President Donald Trump recently took executive action to address the issue, signing the “No Men in Women’s Sports” executive order” on Feb. 5.

However, some states have indicated they will refuse to follow the order and continue allowing biological males to participate and share locker rooms with female athletes, including California and Minnesota.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.

February 10, 2025
Rep. Jasmine Crockett says Trump’s transgender athlete ban ‘doesn’t protect women,’ faces intense backlash

Most Democrats have opted to remain silent in response to President Donald Trump’s executive order banning transgender athletes from women’s and girls sports.

But one Democrat spoke out against it and was heavily criticized.

Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, spoke out against Trump’s executive order in an X post Wednesday.

“On National Girls & Women in Sports Day, Trump is: – banning trans kids from playing sports – trying to cut Title IX women’s and girls’ athletics grants -removing references to women, female and equality on government websites,” Crockett wrote. “LET ME BE CLEAR This. Doesn’t. Protect. Women.”

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Crockett’s criticism of Trump drew fierce backlash from other X users.

“Nothing in your post is true. Transgender kids are not banned from playing sports – they just have to play on teams and in leagues where their sex matches the other athletes. Or they can form their own leagues. This was done to keep men from dominating women’s sports by pretending to be women. AKA ‘protecting women’s sports.’” one user wrote.

“There were no Title IX grants cut. Any references to ‘women, female & equality’ removed from any .gov website were removed in the context of transgender/gender ideology.”

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Rep. Jasmine Crockett (MSNBC)

One user suggested Crockett’s stance was misogynistic.

“Why do you care more about the feelings of some biological males over the rights and safety of women? There’s a name for it when men are prioritized over women and given more rights. I was taught that’s misogyny,” the user wrote.

Another user pointed out that data suggests most Americans, including Democrats, oppose transgender inclusion in women’s sports, and that factored into the 2024 election results.

“This absolutely protects women, and this is what the majority of the country voted for,” the user wrote.

HOW TRANSGENDERISM IN SPORTS SHIFTED THE 2024 ELECTION AND IGNITED A NATIONAL COUNTERCULTURE

A recent New York Times/Ipsos survey found the vast majority of Americans, including a majority of Democrats, don’t think transgender athletes should be permitted to compete in women’s sports. Of the 2,128 people polled, 79% said biological males who identify as women should not be allowed to participate in women’s sports.

Of the 1,025 people who identified as Democrats or leaning Democrat, 67% said transgender athletes should not be allowed to compete with women.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Shortly after November’s election, a national exit poll conducted by the Concerned Women for America legislative action committee found that 70% of moderate voters saw the issue of “Donald Trump’s opposition to transgender boys and men playing girls’ and women’s sports and of transgender boys and men using girls’ and women’s bathrooms” as important to them.

And 6% said it was the most important issue of all, while 44% said it was “very important.”

Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett during the first impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden by the House Oversight Committee at Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., Sept. 28, 2023. (Yasin Ozturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Image)

Crockett previously called her state and Florida “deplorable” during a December hearing on transgender athletes over conservative legislation by lawmakers in those states. Her comments came during a House Oversight and Accountability Subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services hearing to discuss proposed changes to Title IX by the Biden administration that would redefine sexual discrimination to include gender identity.

“When lawmakers like this are so far out of touch with what women need, we see states pushing back,” Crockett said of her Republican colleague, U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman of Wisconsin, who spoke before her. “At least states that will allow you to push back. I’m from the state of Texas, and, of course, they don’t want you to ever have an opportunity to raise your voice in the state of Texas.

“In fact, Ms. Perry, I know your organization, the Heritage Foundation, loves Texas. Oh, they love Texas,” she added. “They always sending us some nonsense bills that somehow set this country on the wrong trajectory. They send them to Texas. They send them to Florida. Every deplorable state that we can think about, they usually coming out of yall’s think tank.”

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.

February 7, 2025