California School Dodges Some Title IX Claims Over Trans Athlete

A California school district avoided, for now, most Title IX claims brought by two cisgender female athletes who alleged a transgender student on their cross-country team is putting them at an unfair disadvantage.

But the plaintiffs’ allegations that the transgender student received preferential treatment from the school’s athletic director, who later promoted the transgender athlete to a higher spot on the varsity team, are sufficient to bring an equal protection claim under Title IX against the school defendants, Judge Sunshine S. Sykes of the US District Court for the Central District of California wrote in a Wednesday order.

Sykes ...