California residents and schools have faced recurring instances of transgender athletes competing in girls sports over the last several months, prompting national scrutiny; disruption to academics, athletics and family life; and even lawsuits.
On Thursday, some of those affected California residents watched Gov. Gavin Newsom admit on his new podcast that he believes transgender athletes competing in girls sports is “unfair” yet justify allowing it to happen.
“It’s deeply unfair,” Newsom said of transgender athletes competing with girls. “There’s also a humility and a 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?”
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Fox News Digital reached out to schools and families affected by California’s trans athlete inclusion policies over the last year for their thoughts on Newsom’s recent comments.
Stone Ridge Christian School in Merced, California, had its girls volleyball team forfeit a playoff game to San Francisco Waldorf in the fall due to the presence of a transgender athlete on Waldorf’s team. It was a decision that ended Stone Ridge Christian’s season because Newsom’s policies forced the girls volleyball team into a situation where it would have to refuse to play to avoid compromising religious beliefs.
“What’s really unfair is Gov. Newsom letting males compete in women’s sports despite admitting that it is unfair. While it is common sense for men and women to compete on their own teams, this is especially concerning as a religious school,” Stone Ridge Christian School Campus Administrator Julie Fagundes told Fox News Digital.
At Martin Luther King High School in Riverside, California, a situation involving a trans athlete on the girls’ cross-country team prompted national scrutiny, a lawsuit by two girls on the team and several students being punished for wearing “Save Girls Sports” T-shirts in protest.
Cynthia Slavin, the mother of one of the girls who filed a lawsuit against the Riverside Unified School District, told Fox News Digital she believes Newsom is “marginalizing” young biological females with his stance.
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Students at Martin Luther King High School in Riverside, California, wear T-shirts that say “Save Girls Sports” to protest a transgender athlete on the cross country team. (Courtesy of Sophia Lorey)
“I’m thankful Gavin Newsom said having boys in girls sports is unfair. I’m thankful he too has empathy for all people, but that just is not enough. What’s truly unfair is that he has the power to do something about this issue but doesn’t. Talk is cheap. Take action, do something,” Slavin said.
“By him not taking action or trying to come up with a plan, he is adding to the division and tension in our state. He is adding to the stress and mental issues for not only the ‘marginalized’ group but for my daughter Kaitlyn and all the other girls who are not OK with biological boys invading their spaces. He is helping biological girls become the new marginalized group.”
The neighboring Jurupa Unified School District (JUPD) has been dealing with a recent national controversy involving a trans track and field athlete at Jurupa Valley High School (JUVHS) who has dominated female opponents by staggering margins in the triple jump this season.
Jaspriya Singh, a former JUVHS athlete and sister to a current athlete on the girls cross-country team, laments the situation Newsom has allowed.
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“My sister has trained tirelessly in track and field, dedicating countless hours to improving her performance. When she’s forced to compete against biological males, it creates an unfair playing field that undermines her hard work and opportunities. Female athletes deserve to compete in a space that protects fairness and integrity,” Singh told Fox News Digital.
“This isn’t just about sports. It’s about ensuring girls have the same chances to excel and achieve their dreams without an unfair disadvantage. That’s why it’s so important to fight for policies that keep women’s sports truly for women.”
A JUPD teacher told Fox News Digital on the condition of anonymity that Newsom is not being genuine in his latest comments.
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“As a teacher in Southern California, I don’t believe or trust Gavin Newsom’s sudden change of stance on transgender athletes in girls sports,” the teacher said.
“For years, he has championed policies that force schools to comply with inclusion rules, disregarding the concerns of female athletes, parents and educators. Now, in a conversation with Charlie Kirk, he’s claiming to see the unfairness in this?
“It’s hard to take seriously when his policies still allow and enforce the very thing he’s now questioning. If he truly cared about fairness in sports, he would take real action, not just shift his rhetoric when it’s politically convenient.”
Former JUPD teacher Jessica Tapia, who claims she was fired by the district for her stance on the issue, says the issue is driving good teachers from California schools.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom pauses during a news conference after touring Barron Park Elementary School March 2, 2021, in Palo Alto, Calif. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
“Still, to this day, it’s hard for me to wrap my mind around what happened to me. We are losing good teachers because of how detrimental gender ideology is, the very teachers who are fighting for truth and the true protection of students,” Tapia told Fox News Digital.
Chino Valley Unified School District board President Sonja Shaw told Fox News Digital her district has dealt with multiple reported incidents of biological males using girls locker rooms, calling Newsom “weak” for allowing it.
“You’ve seen it. You obviously know about it, and you haven’t done anything, and it takes a Charlie Kirk with you to admit it? That’s not what leaders do,” Shaw said.
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“Right now we have a lot of confusion. We have parents thinking their girls are safe until their daughters are met by a boy on the field, in the swimming pool or even in the locker rooms and restroom. So, to sit back and say its unfair but not put any teeth into it, I think is weak. It shows who he is and continues to be.”
Amber French, a Division I Swimmer at California Baptist University, has witnessed multiple incidents of transgender athletes competing against young women in her state and is calling on Newsom to take action about it.
“Every year we have another male playing in female sports and taking away our opportunities. Notice it’s never the other way around. Gavin Newsom acknowledges unfairness yet has done nothing to protect female athletes in California,” French told Fox News Digital.
“It’s time Gov. Newsom actually does something about the unfairness he acknowledges. The same decency he advocates for should be applied one hundred-fold to women, protecting their locker rooms and opportunities.”
Transgender athlete supporter Kyle Harp, left, of Riverside holds the progress pride flag as “Save Girls Sports” supporters Lori Lopez and her dad, Pete Pickering, both of Riverside, listen to a debate outside a Riverside Unified School District meeting Dec. 19, 2024. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
The state has so far refused to comply with President Donald Trump’s executive order to keep biological males out of girls sports since it was signed Feb. 5, risking a potential loss of federal education funding.
The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education for potential Title IX violations related to the issue.
“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 at the time.
Fox News Digital reached out to the CIF for its reaction to Newsom’s latest comments.
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