Education Secretary Linda McMahon told California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday that he will be hearing from Attorney General Pam Bondi after the state was found to be in violation of Title IX.
The California Department of Education (CDE) and the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) rejected the U.S. Education Department's Office for Civil Rights' (OCR) proposed resolution agreement following transgender athlete controversies in high school athletics over the course of the school year.
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Linda McMahon shared CDE general counsel Len Garfinkel's letter to OCR regional director Bradley R. Burke on Monday.
"The California Department of Education (CDE) received the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights' (OCR's) June 25, 2025 Letter of Finding and Proposed Resolution Agreement in the above-referenced OCR matter," the letter read.
"The CDE respectfully disagrees with OCR's analysis, and it will not sign the Proposed Resolution Agreement."
McMahon also shared the CIF's response from its general counsel, Diane Marshall-Freeman.
"The office of the General Counsel for the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) is in receipt of your letter, dated June 25, 2025, directed to Dr. Ronald W. Nocetti, the Executive Director of the CIF," Marshall-Freeman wrote. "I write in response to your request that the CIF in form you 'in writing by 12:00 p.m. non, eastern time, July 7, 2025,' as to whether the CIF will sign the United States Department of Education's, Office for Civil Rights' ('OCR') proposed resolution agreement in the above-entitled matter.
"In reply to your request, please be advised that the CIF concurs with the response of the California Department of Education ("CDE") submitted to your office earlier today, July 7, 2025. I have attached a copy of the CDE's response for your references. Consequently, the CIF will not be signing the proposed resolution agreement."
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McMahon's message to Newsom was clear.
"California has just REJECTED our resolution agreement to follow federal law and keep men out of women's sports," she wrote on X. "Turns out Gov. Newsom's acknowledgment that 'it's an issue of fairness' was empty political grandstanding.
"@CAgovernor, you'll be hearing from @AGPamBondi."
Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom's office for comment.
The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced late last month that the CIF and the CDE were in violation of Title IX.
The announcement came weeks after transgender high school track and field athlete AB Hernandez won medals in girls competitions during the California state championships. The transgender athlete's participation in the events sparked nationwide outrage, specifically from President Donald Trump after he signed the "No Men in Women's Sports" executive order, which prohibits transgender athletes from competing against biological girls and women in sports.
The Education Department said the CIF and the CDE had 10 days to agree to the agency's proposed resolution agreement, part of which stated, "to each female to whom an individual recognition is restored, CDE will send a personalized letter to that girl or woman apologizing on behalf of the state of California for allowing her educational experience to be marred by sex discrimination."
Additionally, "The CDE will issue a Notice to all recipients of federal funding (Recipients) that operate interscholastic athletic programs in California requiring them to comply with Title IX. This will specify that Title IX and its implementing regulations forbids schools from allowing males from participating in female sports and from occupying female intimate facilities, and that Recipients must adopt biology-based definitions of the words 'male' and 'female.'
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"The CDE and CIF will rescind any guidance that advised local school districts or CIF members to permit male athletes to participate in women's and girls sports to reflect that Title IX preempts state law when state law conflicts with Title IX.
"The CDE will require each Recipient and CIF to submit to CDE an annual certification that the Recipient and CIF have complied with Title IX. Accordingly, CDE will also propose to OCR a Monitoring Plan to ensure that Recipients are fully complying with Title IX."
Newsom's office responded to the initial announcement, brushing off the Trump administration's threats to defund California.
Newsom previously talked about transgender participation in girls sports back in March with prominent conservative Charlie Kirk.
"The young man who's about to win the state championship in the long jump in female sports, that shouldn't happen," Kirk said. "You, as the governor, should step out and say no. Would you do something like that? Would you say no men in female sports?"
"I think it's an issue of fairness. I completely agree with you on that. It is an issue of fairness - it's deeply unfair," Newsom told Kirk. "I am not wrestling with the fairness issue. I totally agree with you."
Kirk pressed Newsom on whether he would condemn the athlete in question from Jurupa Valley High School after the athlete won another event at the time. Newsom did not directly address the win but said "it's a fairness issue."
"So, that's easy to call out the unfairness of that," he said. "There's also humility and grace. … These poor people are more likely to commit suicide, have anxiety and depression. And the way that people talk down to vulnerable communities is an issue that I have a hard time with as well.
"So, both things I can hold in my hand. How can we address this issue with the kind of decency that I think, you know, is inherent in you but not always expressed on the issue?"
Newsom further explained his point of view in a press conference on April 2 when asked whether there should be a law to prohibit males from competing in girls and women's sports.
"And I'm about as transparent about this as anybody out there, particularly in my party, on this, and to the extent someone can and do it in a way that's respectful and responsible and could find a kind of balance, then I'm open to that discussion. ... You're talking about a very small number of people, a very small number of athletes, and my responsibility is to address the pressing issues of our time.
"And this, I think, has been colored in and weaponized by the right to be 10 times, 100 times bigger than it is, and so my focus is on a myriad of other issues in this state. And to the extent that someone could find that right balance, I would embrace those conversations and the dignity that hopefully presents themselves in that conversation, meaning the humanity around that conversation, not the politics around that conversation."
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