DOJ investigates California after state bans trans athlete to appease president’s transphobic orders

California recently caved to the demands of the president and partially banned a transgender girl from competing in the state championship for girls’ track and field. But the Department of Justice (DOJ) has decided to investigate the state anyway to see if its trans-inclusive anti-discrimination law has deprived cisgender girls and women of “fair athletic opportunities.”

The investigation is just the latest instance of the president using federal investigations to intimidate states that refuse to ban trans female athletes from competing on sports teams matching their gender identity.

On Wednesday, the DOJ announced that it had sent legal notices to California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D), state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), which oversees the state’s high school sports, and the Jurupa Unified School District, where a 16-year-old trans track-and-field athlete rose to become a state long jump finalist.

“[The DOJ] is opening an investigation to determine whether Title IX, a landmark federal civil rights law prohibiting sex-based educational discrimination, is being violated by A.B. 1266,” the letter said. A.B. 1266 is a 2013 state law permitting trans students to fully participate in activities, facilities, and programs based on their gender identity.

The presidential administration has declared, contrary to the past president’s policy, that Title IX’s prohibition against sex-based discrimination doesn’t…

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