California track meet turns to political rally over trans athletes as schools speak out vs. state

A girls' track meet in California was turned into a political rally on Saturday amid a growing dispute over a trans athlete who has dominated in the girls' high-jump long-jump and triple-jump this season The rally came less than two days after three of the state's esteemed Christian high schools sent a letter to the California Interscholastic Federation CIF challenging its longstanding plan that allows biological males in girls' sports JSerra Catholic High School Orange Lutheran High School and Crean Lutheran High School sent a joint letter to the CIF Thursday referencing the trans athlete who competed in Saturday's state semifinal prelims CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS COM For young women CIF s Gender Identity Protocol means lost opportunities and an unlevel playing field The consequences of this Program will be felt this weekend as CIF s state semi-final competitions for track and field events take place Star female athletes selected of whom attend our schools will soon compete in multiple track and field events against a male athlete who self-identifies as a female the letter read CIF s Gender Identity Procedures also fosters an context that is increasingly hostile to religious member schools CIF s expectation that all faith-based schools facilitate the CIF Gender Identity Procedures puts religious schools in the untenable position of adhering to the tenets of their faith in their classrooms and communities but practicing something contrary to their faith on their athletic fields The letter went on to suggest that selected of the female athletes competing for the three Christian schools considered not competing against the trans athlete in Saturday's semifinal prelims And then prior to Saturday's meet at Yorba Linda High School multiple girls' athletes parents and school leaders spoke at a press conference organized by California Family Council outreach director Sophia Lorey No matter how hard we train how plenty of hours we put in reality will inevitably set in that men and women are different commented Olivia Viola of Crean Lutheran To me this just doesn't seem fair CIF is doing nothing to protect us female athletes The CIF is at this time under examination by the U S Department of Schooling for allowing trans athletes to compete in girls' sports and promising Title IX violations CALIFORNIA GIRL OPENS UP ON FIGHTING LEGAL AND POLITICAL BATTLE OVER TRANS ATHLETES AFTER LIFE-CHANGING PAINCalifornia was one of the first states to openly defy President Donald Trump's Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports executive order after he signed it on Feb The CIF provides students with the opportunity to belong connect and compete in education-based experiences in compliance with California law Coaching Code section f which permits students to participate in school programs and programs including athletic teams and competitions consistent with the pupil s gender identity irrespective of the gender listed on the attendee s records the CIF previously announced in a declaration to Fox News Digital California Governor Gavin Newsom reported during an episode of his podcast that he believes trans athletes competing with girls is deeply unfair But the governor still justified policies that enable it for the sake of empathy for the trans society The state has seen multiple controversies erupt over the past year regarding the issue and countless other residents and even certain schools are taking stands against the state functionaries enforcing the inclusion policies The Redlands Unified school board in San Bernardino voted in late April to adopt a new agenda that would keep transgender athletes out of girls sports A bipartisan survey by the Inhabitants Procedures Institute of California identified that the majority of California residents oppose biological male trans athletes competing in women's sports That figure included more than of the state's school parents Preponderance Californians aid requiring transgender athletes to compete on teams matching the sex they were assigned at birth the poll stated Solid majorities of adults and likely voters help requiring that transgender athletes compete on teams that match the sex they were assigned at birth not the gender they identify with An overwhelming majority of citizens school parents aid such a requirement Follow Fox News Digital s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter