California Family Council (CFC) applauds the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights for officially concluding that both the California Department of Education (CDE) and the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) are in violation of Title IX for policies that discriminate against female athletes by allowing male athletes to compete in girls’ sports.

For the past two years, California Family Council (CFC) has faithfully attended CIF meetings, raising repeated concerns and urging officials to align their policies with federal Title IX requirements. Last Friday, June 20, CFC’s Outreach Director Sophia Lorey hosted a press conference alongside female athletes and their families outside the CIF executive meeting in Costa Mesa, CA. They then hand-delivered a petition to CIF signed by 20,074 individuals, including 41 state and national organizations, and 8 California Legislators calling on the CIF officials to stop allowing males to compete in girls’ athletics.

Today’s findings are a landmark victory for female athletes across California who have been forced to compete on an unequal playing field, one that undermines both their safety and hard-earned achievements.

“As a former CIF athlete and collegiate athlete in California, I am deeply grateful to see the U.S. Department of Education taking action,” said Sophia Lorey, Girls’ Sports Advocate for California Family Council.

“I’ve personally heard from too many young women who have faced the injustice of being forced to compete against male athletes, losing out on championships, awards, and their right to safety. Title IX was designed to protect women like them, like me, and like the next generation of girls coming up in sports. This decision is a critical step toward restoring fairness and protecting the integrity of girls’ sports in our state. We urge the California Department of Education and CIF to comply immediately and put our daughters first.”

The Department of Education’s resolution gives the CDE and CIF just 10 days to comply with federal law or face referral to the U.S. Department of Justice. Required actions include the rescinding of unlawful guidance, restoring awards and records to female athletes, issuing apologies to those affected, and certifying annual Title IX compliance moving forward.

As the Department designates June as “Title IX Month” in honor of the law’s 53rd anniversary, today’s action underscores the enduring need to fight for true equality and protection for girls and women — in California and across the nation.

California Family Council remains committed to defending the rights of female athletes and ensuring Title IX is enforced as Congress intended — based on biological sex, not subjective gender identity.