California track officials named female high school athletes co-champions in three girls’ jumping events after a biological male who identifies as a “transgender” athlete won each event at a sectional championship meet.
The athlete, publicly identified as AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley High School, took first place in the long jump, high jump, and triple jump at the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Division 3 finals in Moorpark, California, Fox News reported.
Hernandez won the long jump by more than a foot, the high jump by two inches, and the triple jump by nearly two feet, according to the report. Meet announcers later declared two co-champions in each event, including Hernandez.
Hernandez did not appear at the long jump medal ceremony, where Moorpark High School’s Gianna Gonzalez stood alone on the top podium spot despite finishing behind Hernandez.
Hernandez later shared the top podium spot in high jump with Oak Park High School’s Gwynneth Mureika. In the triple jump, Hernandez stood alone after Shadow Hills athlete Malia Strange did not appear for the ceremony, according to the report.
The podium results followed a CIF pilot program enacted last year. The program awarded female athletes who finished behind a “transgender” athlete one higher placement for podium purposes and allowed some female athletes who narrowly missed qualifying in events involving a “transgender” athlete to compete at the state meet, Fox News reported.
Federal Scrutiny
The California policy has drawn federal scrutiny.
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights announced in June 2025 that it found the California Department of Education and CIF in violation of Title IX after reviewing policies that allowed biological males to compete in girls’ sports. The department said OCR issued a proposed resolution agreement requiring CDE and CIF to change their practices or risk enforcement action, including referral to the Justice Department.
The Justice Department sued California in July 2025, alleging CDE and CIF engaged in illegal sex discrimination against female student athletes by allowing males to compete against them. DOJ said the policy deprived girls of equal education and athletic opportunities under federal civil rights law.
California law takes a different approach. AB 1266 requires public schools to allow students to participate in sex-segregated school programs and activities, including athletic teams and competitions, consistent with their “gender identity,” regardless of the gender listed in school records.
Texas Takes Different Approach
Texas law and athletic rules take the opposite approach for public school sports.
UIL rules state that member schools may not permit boys to try out for or participate on girls’ junior high or high school athletic teams. The rules also say gender is determined by a student’s birth certificate under Texas Education Code Section 33.0834.
Texas has also extended biological-sex requirements to public college athletics. The Save Women’s Sports Act prohibits a public college athletic team from allowing a student to compete on a team designated for the opposite biological sex. The law defines biological sex based on the student’s official birth certificate, if entered at or near birth or corrected only for a clerical error.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Accuracy in Media President Adam Guillette alleged that administrators in Irving ISD, Dallas ISD, and Richardson ISD advised undercover journalists on ways to bypass Texas’ restrictions on boys competing in girls’ sports. Richardson ISD denied wrongdoing, saying the district follows Texas law and UIL requirements.
