Redlands school board to consider Title IX resolution: Fairness in girls’ sports

REDLANDS, Calif. — A proposed resolution up for a vote at Tuesday’s Redlands Unified school board meeting would affirm the district’s support for Title IX and call on athletic governing bodies to preserve what it describes as “the integrity of female athletic competition.”

Why it matters: The resolution reflects a broader national debate over fairness and inclusion in school athletics, particularly how transgender students participate in girls’ sports. Supporters say it protects opportunities for cisgender girls, while critics argue it targets transgender youth and conflicts with California law. Though it wouldn’t change local policy, the resolution signals how the school board may align on this divisive issue.

Details of the resolution: Resolution No. 43, 2024–2025, titled Supporting Title IX and Fairness in Girls’ Interscholastic Sports, urges state and national organizations like the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) to adopt eligibility rules that prioritize safety, fairness, and equal opportunity for cisgender girls. The resolution explicitly references “biological differences between males and females” and asserts that those differences can lead to competitive imbalances in girls’ sports.

While it does not propose any immediate changes to Redlands Unified’s own athletic policies, it formalizes the district’s stance and encourages advocacy at the state and national levels.

Zoom out: California law has supported transgender student inclusion in athletics for over a decade. Since 2013, the state’s School Success and Opportunity Act has allowed students to participate in sports and activities based on their gender identity. The policy sets California apart from much of the nation—where, according to a Pew Research Center survey released last month, two-thirds of Americans favor requiring athletes to compete on teams that match the sex assigned at birth.

Democratic lawmakers in Sacramento recently rejected bills that would have banned transgender girls from participating in school sports, citing conflicts with state law and federal Title IX protections. Meanwhile, California remains in the federal spotlight, as the Department of Education investigates CIF for allegedly violating federal nondiscrimination laws by allowing transgender athletes to participate in women’s and girls’ sports.

Last month, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon sent a letter to Governor Newsom threatening to withhold federal funding if the state continues to let transgender athletes participate in girls' and women's sports.

What’s next: The Redlands Unified School Board will vote on the resolution during its meeting on Tuesday, April 22. If adopted, the district will formally join others pushing for changes to athletic eligibility rules—but any actual enforcement decisions would fall to organizations like CIF.

School Board Meeting Information

Click here to view agenda.

6:00 PM
Board Room, 25 West Lugonia Avenue, Redlands, CA
Open/Closed Session: 4:00 p.m., District Office Conference Room 
Open Session: 6:00 p.m.  

The meeting will also be live-streamed here:

https://redlandsusd.primegov.com/public/portal

Public comments will only be accepted in person at the meeting.