ADVOCATES FOR FAITH & FREEDOM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: THURSDAY, mARCH 5, 2026
CONTACT: NICOLE VELASCO
media@FAITH-FREEDOM.COM
Murrieta, CA — Advocates for Faith & Freedom has filed a motion asking a federal court to reconsider a sweeping dismissal of its lawsuit defending female athletes from California policies that allow biological males to compete in girls’ sports.
The lawsuit, brought on behalf of student-athletes and the organization Save Girls’ Sports, challenges California’s enforcement of AB 1266 and related school policies that force female athletes to compete with and against biological males and punish students who speak out about it.
The court dismissed the entire case after concluding the dispute had become “moot” because one of the male athletes identified in the complaint graduated. But the ruling went far beyond the issues raised in the motions before the court. The judge dismissed all eight claims, including claims that defendants never asked the court to dismiss and claims seeking monetary damages for past harm.
In response, Advocates for Faith & Freedom has filed a motion for reconsideration explaining that the decision ignored controlling law and overlooked key facts. The lawsuit includes claims for monetary damages under Title IX and federal civil rights law – claims that cannot be declared moot simply because a student has graduated.
The motion also points out that the policies allowing biological males to compete in girls’ sports remain fully in place and continue to impact female athletes today. Plaintiffs have already identified another male athlete competing in girls’ events under the same policy, demonstrating the controversy is ongoing.
Advocates says the decision comes at a remarkable moment in the national legal landscape.
Within months, the United States Supreme Court is expected to rule in cases involving many of the same legal questions – whether biological males can compete in women’s sports and access female spaces.
“The legal tide on this issue is unmistakable,” said Advocates Senior Legal Counsel, Julianne Fleischer. “The Supreme Court is preparing to address these questions directly, and the momentum across the country is moving toward restoring the protections Title IX was designed to guarantee.”
“We are litigating in the belly of the beast,” said Robert Tyler, President and Chief Counsel of Advocates for Faith & Freedom. “California has pushed some of the most aggressive policies in the nation, even as the Supreme Court has recently struck down unconstitutional laws coming out of this state.”
Advocates for Faith & Freedom remains confident that the law, and ultimately the courts, will vindicate the rights of female athletes.
“The writing is on the wall,” Robert Tyler added. “The overwhelming weight of the Constitution, Title IX, and the direction of the Supreme Court all point the same way. We are confident that women’s sports will be protected and that these young women will ultimately prevail.”
The case is far from over. Plaintiffs are asking the court to correct its ruling and allow the claims to proceed so the underlying constitutional and civil rights violations can be addressed.
“Female athletes deserve fairness,” Julianne Fleischer stated. “And we intend to see this fight through until the law is enforced.”
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Advocates for Faith & Freedom is a non-profit law firm dedicated to protecting constitutional and religious liberty in the courts. Our mission is to engage in cases that will uphold our religious liberty and America’s heritage and to educate Americans about our fundamental constitutional rights.