This past Friday, female athletes, parents, coaches, and advocates from across California united in Long Beach to demand fairness in girls’ sports. The Save Girls’ Sports CA Coalition, composed of more than 20 organizations, hosted a powerful press conference ahead of the California Interscholastic Federation’s (CIF) Federated Council meeting.
They came with one message: CIF is failing female athletes.
Despite a newly issued Executive Order from President Trump reaffirming protections for female athletes under Title IX, CIF has doubled down on policies that allow males to compete in girls’ sports. This is a blatant defiance of federal law, an attack on fairness, and a betrayal of the very students CIF is meant to serve.
CIF’s Defiance is Costing Girls Their Opportunities
Instead of honoring Title IX’s protections, CIF has prioritized gender ideology over biological reality, fairness, and safety. The impact?
- Girls losing roster spots.
- Girls losing state titles.
- Girls being injured in contact sports.
- Girls being forced to share locker rooms with males.
As a former collegiate and four-year CIF varsity athlete, California Family Council’s Outreach Director Sophia Lorey, understands firsthand what it takes to compete at a high level. “I have watched girls dedicate years of training, only to be robbed of opportunities by males who possess clear physiological advantages—advantages that no amount of identity politics can erase,” Lorey said.
The Press Conference
The Save Girls’ Sports CA Press Conference included Sophia Lorey, California Family Council Outreach Director and former CIF athlete; Julianne Fleischer, Advocates for Faith & Freedom Legal Counsel; Sonja Shaw the Chino Valley Unified School Board President; Noelle Fitchet the Communications Director for Concerned Women of America – California: Ryan Starling father of CIF athlete Taylor Starling suing Riverside Unified School District; and Amber French a D1 Athlete from Cal Baptist University.
At the Press conference, the coalition called on CIF to
- Enforce Title IX protections—stop allowing males to compete in girls’ sports.
- Recognize that fairness and biology matter.
- Stop prioritizing an ideological agenda over girls’ safety and opportunities.
California prides itself on being a leader in equality and justice. But justice is not achieved by erasing girls from their own sports.
The bottom line: CIF must act now—or be prepared for legal and financial consequences.
Title IX is Clear—But CIF is Ignoring It
For 52 years, Title IX has protected female athletes from discrimination. The law was written to ensure equal opportunities for women in sports, but CIF is violating its legal obligations under California Education Code § 33353, which mandates compliance with all federal nondiscrimination laws.
In direct defiance of the recent Executive Order, CIF is allowing males to take championship titles, scholarships, and roster spots from young girls. The Department of Justice has made it clear that schools failing to comply will face federal funding cuts.
The Fight Inside the CIF Meeting
After our press conference, coalition members entered the CIF Federated Council meeting to provide public comment, demanding immediate policy change.
Standing before CIF leadership, Lorey issued a challenge: “Do what is right and protect female athletes, or be remembered as the board that destroyed girls’ sports in California.”
Lorey also warned CIF officials that their refusal to follow federal law would come with consequences—legal, financial, and historical.
She made sure CIF knew they were on notice.
Inside the CIF Federated Meeting, Julianne Fleischer, Legal Counsel for Advocates for Faith and Freedom, emphasized the legal implications of CIF’s stance: “I want CIF to know that it is important you follow federal law, or you will be held accountable for failing to enforce federal law throughout the school districts … with more lawsuits, they’re going to spend significant funds on litigation.”
Ryan Starling, Father of HS Athlete Taylor Starling, who is currently suing her school district for violating Title IX, shared his personal perspective: “We are asking you guys today to be bold and be brave and stand up for our girls.”
Current CIF multi-sport athlete Holly Ibarra, a sophomore from Millikan High School, courageously spoke out: “Myself and many other girls have sacrificed so much to be out on the field all week. To know that the CIF organization is prioritizing biological male feelings over the protection and safety of all female athletes across all CA… how has it come to this?”
Unlike the 2024 CIF meeting, where not one CIF committee member motioned to give more time for public comment, this year, a few brave committee members made a motion that allowed time for all 16 attendees who wanted to give public comment.
No Backing Down
The fight for fairness in girls’ sports is far from over. Friday’s press conference and CIF meeting were just the beginning.
If CIF thinks this issue will fade away, they are mistaken.
If you believe in protecting female athletes, join us. Speak out. Contact CIF officials here. Demand changes.
Girls’ sports matter. Girls matter.
We will not stand by while they are erased.
