CIF Pilots New Qualification Policy for Track and Field Championships

05.30.2025

On May 27, 2025, the California Interscholastic Federation (“CIF”) announced it would be piloting a new entry process for the 2025 CIF State Track and Field Championships. Under this new process, any biological female student-athlete who would have qualified in high jump, triple jump, or long jump, but did not due to participation of a transgender student-athlete, was extended an opportunity to compete in the CIF Championships on May 30, and 31, 2025.[1] If a transgender student-athlete receives a specific placement on the podium, the biological female student-athlete who earned the next placement will also receive that placement on the podium. The new policy follows the participation of a transgender female student in these field events during the Riverside County’s regional CIF championship earlier in May 2025.

In 2013, CIF, which governs all interscholastic athletic competition in California’s public and private high schools, adopted Guidelines for Gender Identity Participation that state: “Participation in interscholastic athletics is a valuable part of the educational experience for all students. All students should have the opportunity to participate in CIF activities in a manner that is consistent with their gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on a student’s records.” On February 5, 2025, the White House issued Executive Order 14201 (“Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports”) (“Executive Order”).[2] The Executive Order states that under Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act of 1972 (“Title IX”), educational institutions receiving federal funding cannot deny women an equal opportunity to participate in sports. The Executive Order articulates a federal intention that, moving forward, educational institutions which “deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities will have their federal funding rescinded due to violating Title IX.” The Executive Order defines “women and girls” as “adult and juvenile human females,” and female as “a person belonging, at conception, to the sex that produces the large reproductive cell” consistent with Executive Order 14168 (“Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government”).

Following the Executive Order, CIF announced it will continue to follow California law to allow students to participate in school programs and athletic teams consistent with the student’s gender identity.[3] CIF’s statement prompted an investigation by the U.S. Department of Educations’ Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”). On February 15, 2025, OCR announced it would be investigating CIF, stating CIF intended to violate federal antidiscrimination laws related to girls’ and women’s sports. Additionally, on May 28, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice opened a second investigation to determine whether California state law violates Title IX.[4] AALRR attorneys will continue to monitor the status of these investigations for updates.

In its May 27, 2025 statement, CIF expressed that it values all student-athletes and will continue to provide students with the opportunity to compete while complying with California law and the Education Code. Transgender female students are still permitted to participate in athletic events that correspond with their gender identity under CIF’s 2013 guidance and California state law.

Should you have specific questions regarding the content of this Alert or your agency’s response to the Executive Order, please contact the authors of this Alert or your usual AALRR counsel.