Save Girls’ Sports

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Five Ways to Fight Back Against Boys in Girls’ Sports & Locker Rooms

As California continues to ignore federal law, which prohibits boys from participating in girls’ sports, it is essential for you to act. Whether you’re a parent, student, coach, or advocate for girls’ sports, there are several ways you can voice your concerns and fight for the preservation of fair competition and safe spaces for girls. This resource outlines five effective actions you can take to address the issue and advocate for change.

1. File a Complaint with Your School District

  • The requirements can differ by school district, but finding the appropriate contacts is as simple as searching for the district’s email and phone numbers. This will help you learn how to file a complaint. Many school districts offer the option to file a Title IX complaint, a discrimination complaint, or both.

  • Possible individuals to contact when filing a complaint include:

    • Title IX Coordinator

    • Director of Student Services

    • Coordinator of Student Support Services

    • Compliance Officer

    • Director of Human Resources

    • Information typically required in a complaint:

      • The name(s) of the person(s) against whom the complaint is made. This can be an athletic director, coach, teacher, principal, etc.

      • A description of the grounds for the complaint, including names, dates, and places.

      • Confirmation that the complaint has been discussed with a principal or supervisor as well as a date and description of the result of such discussions.

      • The remedies being sought.

2. File A Title IX Complaint With The Department of Office Education Office of Civil Rights

The Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) has the authority to investigate covered entities for complaints of discrimination based on sex.

  • Covered Entities: All public and private programs that receive federal funds from the U.S. Department of Education.

    Who Can File: Anyone may file a complaint. A complainant filing on behalf of or pertaining to another person(s) is responsible for securing any necessary written consent from that individual, including when a parent files for a student over the age of 18.

    Timeliness: A complaint must be filed within 180 days of the last act of discrimination.

    Where To File: Local Office or National Office. To find a local OCR office, go to ocrcas.ed.gov and search for your state.

  • Local Offices: To find a local OCR office, go here and search for your state.

    • California Local Office:

      The California Office for Civil Rights is in San Francisco.
      Telephone: 415-486-5555
      Email: ocr.sanfrancisco@ed.gov
      Mail: San Francisco Office
      Office for Civil Rights
      U.S. Department of Education
      50 United Nations Plaza
      Mail Box 1200, Room 1545
      San Francisco, CA 94102

  • National Office: An individual can file a complaint form either electronically or via a fillable PDF document here.

    • With any questions, call OCR at 800-421-3481.

    • After filling out the complaint form, it will need to be mailed or emailed to:

      Email: OCR@ed.gov
      Mail: U.S. Department of Education
      Office for Civil Rights
      Lyndon Baines Johnson Department of Education Bldg
      400 Maryland Avenue, SW
      Washington, DC 20202-1100

  • Information typically required in a complaint:

    • Your name

    • The name of the person discriminated against, if different

    • The name of the institution

    • Each discriminatory act including dates, names, and why you believe the discrimination occurred

    • If you have documents, make sure that you describe them thoroughly.

    • The most recent date that you were discriminated against

    • Whether you have raised these complaints directly to the institution

    • How you raised your complaint directly to the institution (i.e. filing an internal complaint, participating in grievance procedures, and/or participating in a hearing through the institution)

    • A thorough description of the internal complaint or appeal, if applicable, including the date and status of such complaint.

    • If the allegations have been filed with any other civil rights agency or in court

    • If you have a lawyer, and who it is, if so.

    • Option to participate in early mediation.

    • A signature.

3. Join Save Girls’ Sports (“SGS”) Association

  • Save Girls’ Sports exists to advocate for and protect opportunities for biological girls in athletics.

  • We seek to preserve girls’ sports and girls’ spaces through our strategy of engaging, equipping and empowering athletes to advocate for separate spaces and competition and lead others to do the same.

  • SGS is actively challenging AB 1266, the California state law that mandates school districts to allow boys to compete in girls’ sports. SGS is involved in a lawsuit against California, arguing that this law violates Title IX and President Trump’s Executive Order “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.”

    • You can join the SGS association at faith-freedom.com/savegirlsports.

4. Attend And Speak At School Board Meetings

  • School board meetings are open to the public to attend.

  • To find the date of the next school board meeting, simply search the name of your school district along with “school board meeting.” You’ll be able to find the meeting date, time, instructions for attendance, and the agenda.

  • During the “Public Comment” section of a school board meeting, you can share your concerns with the school board. You can also urge/ask your school board to enact a policy to protect girls’ sports.

5. Contact A Law Firm For Legal Help

  • Advocates for Faith and Freedom is a pro-bono law firm that is currently fighting against AB 1266 in court.

  • To request legal help, please fill out the form on our website. The information needed will be:

    • Your personal information, such as phone number, email, and address.

    • A brief description of your legal issue.

Taking a stand for girls’ sports and ensuring that female athletes have access to fair and safe environments is crucial. By filing complaints, joining Save Girls’ Sports, speaking at school board meetings, or seeking legal support, you can contribute to meaningful change. Each of these steps offers a unique way for individuals to actively engage in protecting the integrity of girls’ sports and promoting policies that preserve opportunities for female athletes. Together, we can ensure that girls’ sports remain a space where fairness, safety, and equal opportunity are upheld.