Overview
- California State University and San José State filed suit on March 6 in the Northern District of California to set aside the Office for Civil Rights’ findings and block enforcement actions.
- The Office for Civil Rights concluded in January that SJSU was in clear violation of Title IX for allowing a transgender woman to compete on the women’s volleyball team and to use women’s facilities.
- SJSU declined a proposed resolution that, according to the lawsuit, would have required public statements asserting there are only two sexes, formal apologies and policy changes barring transgender participation.
- Potential penalties put at risk roughly $130 million in annual federal student aid affecting about two‑thirds of SJSU students, along with approximately $175–200 million in federally supported research.
- University officials argue they followed Ninth Circuit precedent and prior federal guidance from 2022–24 and say the administration is attempting to retroactively impose a narrower Title IX interpretation as part of a broader policy shift.