Families sue California AG over trans athlete law after girl loses varsity spot to transgender competitor

The families of 2 teenage girls are suing California Attorney General Rob Bonta implicit the state's laws that let transgender athletes to vie successful girls sports. 

A suit was filed by Ryan Starling, the begetter of Taylor Starling; Daniel and Cynthia Slavin, the parents to Kaitlyn Slavin; and Save Girls Sports, according to tribunal documents reviewed by Fox News Digital. 

The listed defendants are Bonta and California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, on with the Riverside Unified School territory and administrators Leann Iacuone and Amanda Chann. 

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A gender-neutral bath astatine the University of California, Irvine successful Irvine, Calif.  (Reuters/Lucy Nicholson)

The suit challenges a instrumentality successful California that allows transgender athletes to vie against girls and women, claiming it is simply a Title IX violation. 

The law, AB 1266, has been successful effect since 2014, giving California students astatine scholastic and collegiate levels the close to "participate successful sex-segregated schoolhouse programs and activities, including diversion teams and competitions, and usage facilities accordant with his oregon her sex identity, irrespective of the sex listed connected the pupil’s records."

"This instrumentality conflicts with national Title IX protections, which were established to guarantee fairness, safety, and adjacent opportunities for pistillate students and athletes," a spokesperson for Advocates for Faith & Freedom, the ineligible steadfast representing the families, told Fox News Digital successful a statement. 

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Students astatine Martin Luther King High School successful Riverside, Calif., deterioration T-shirts that accidental "Save Girls Sports" to protestation a transgender jock connected the transverse state team. (Courtesy of Sophia Lorey)

"AB 1266 undermines pistillate athletes, forcing them to vie against biologic males who clasp undeniable carnal advantages. This is not equality. This is an battle connected fairness and safety."

The lawsuit, precocious amended to see Bonta and Thurmond, was initially filed successful November by the Starling and Slavin families. 

It alleges Taylor Starling mislaid her spot connected the varsity transverse state squad astatine Martin Luther King High School to a transgender jock who had conscionable transferred to the school. Starling and Slavin besides alleged that erstwhile they wore shirts that said "Save Girls Sports" successful protest, they were scolded by administrators who compared the shirts to swastikas. 

The plaintiffs are looking to bring statewide alteration to California. 

"Plaintiffs question a national ruling that AB 1266 violates Title IX arsenic good arsenic a determination holding the District accountable for violating their First Amendment rights. They request injunctive alleviation to halt schools from forcing biologic girls to vie with and against males, a judgement affirming sex-based protections successful athletics and compensation for damages caused by these discriminatory policies," the Advocates for Faith & Freedom spokesperson said.

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Transgender jock supporters clasp up signs astatine near arsenic Tori Hitchcock, center, of the Young Women for America, and Salomay McCullough, right, amusement disconnected their "Save Girls Sports" shirts. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Ryan Starling antecedently told Fox News Digital the nonaccomplishment of his daughter's varsity spot disrupted his full household emotionally, due to the fact that transverse state played a pivotal relation successful her life. And past erstwhile his girl and different girls connected the squad confronted their schoolhouse administrators astir it, helium claims, they were told "transgenders person much rights than cisgenders."

"It's been told aggregate times to not conscionable Taylor, but her sister," Ryan Starling said, adding that Taylor is 1 of 3 triplets, and each 3 are progressive connected varsity sports teams. "All the administrators astatine Martin Luther King person stated this comment, and the Title IX coordinator for the Riverside Unified School District has stated ‘that arsenic a Cisgender girl, they bash not person the aforesaid rights arsenic a transgender girl' to aggregate girls, not conscionable our daughters, but aggregate girls connected campus." 

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An RUSD spokesperson declined to springiness an authoritative remark connected Ryan Starling's claims successful a speech with Fox News Digital. 

The RUSD antecedently provided a connection to Fox News Digital insisting that its handling of the concern has been successful accordance with California authorities law. 

"While these rules were not created by RUSD, the territory is committed to complying with the instrumentality and CIF regulations. California authorities instrumentality prohibits favoritism of students based connected gender, sex individuality and sex look and specifically prohibits favoritism connected the ground of sex successful carnal acquisition and athletics. The protections we supply to each students are not lone aligned with the instrumentality but besides with our halfway values which see equity and well-being," the connection said. 

Dan Slavin previously told Fox News Digital his household whitethorn proceed to rise consciousness of this contented successful the 2026 California gubernatorial predetermination if the contented hasn't been resolved. 

"If thing changes present successful the adjacent mates of years, it perfectly should beryllium portion of the adjacent election," helium said.

"I privation to spot policies change," Slavin added. "I support saying the strategy is broken, and it's doing much harm than good. And I privation to spot radical recognize that and admit that. Sometimes, we marque mistakes, and it's OK to admit that, but we request to marque changes and get retired of those mistakes we make." 

California State Assemblymember Kate Sanchez announced successful aboriginal January she is introducing a measure to prohibition transgender athletes from competing successful girls and women's sports.

Sanchez, a Republican, volition suggest the Protect Girls’ Sports Act to the authorities legislature. Currently, 25 states person akin laws successful effect.

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