Newsom office source responds to planned protest against trans athlete at state playoff girls’ track meet

The upcoming California high school girls’ track and field postseason is set to feature a trans athlete from Jurupa Valley High School (JVHS).

A protest, organized by former NCAA women’s soccer player Sophia Lorey, will be held at the site of the California Interscholastic Southern Section, Division 3, preliminaries on Saturday. Lorey, a prominent “Save Girls’ Sports” activist in the state, organized a similar protest at the same round last year, bringing national attention to the state playoffs. The issue eventually caught the attention of President Donald Trump, who, in a Truth Social post, called out Gov. Gavin Newsom for his state’s continued policies that allowed biological males to compete in girls’ sports.

Fox News Digital sent a request to Newsom’s office for a response to the upcoming protest and competition involving the trans athlete.

A source at the governor’s office provided a statement to Fox News Digital in response.

“The Governor has said discussions on this issue should be guided by fairness, dignity, and respect. He rejects the right wing’s cynical attempt to weaponize this debate as an excuse to vilify individual kids. The Governor’s position is simple: stand with all kids and stand up to bullies,” the statement read.

“California is one of 22 states that have laws requiring students be permitted to participate in sex-segregated school sports consistent with their gender identity. California passed this law in 2013 (AB 1266) and it was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to the trans athlete’s school district, the Jurupa Unified School District (JUSD), for a response.

Trump’s Department of Justice is engaged in Title IX lawsuits against education agencies in California for its policies that allow trans athletes in girls’ high school sports. The lawsuit was officially launched in July after JVHS’s trans athlete won two state finals in triple jump and high jump, and won second place in long jump, at last year’s championships.

Then in the fall came a controversial girls’ volleyball season involving that same trans athlete. Three now-former JVHS female volleyball players filed a Title IX lawsuit against the JUSD for allowing the trans athlete to be on the girls’ team and in the girls’ locker room. Multiple opposing teams forfeited to JVHS throughout the season.

JUSD was in communication with Newsom’s office regarding the state’s Title IX legal battle against the Trump administration earlier that same September, amid growing national attention as opposing volleyball teams forfeited to JVHS, seemingly in protest of the trans athlete. 

Newsom’s Legal Affairs Secretary David Sapp sent an email to district administrators on Sept. 8 that appeared to include a copy of the state’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit, filed by Trump’s DOJ in July, over the CIF’s continued policies that allow males in girls’ sports. 

“As discussed, please see attached for a copy of the motion to dismiss that we filed on Friday in USDOJ’s lawsuit around Title IX,” Sapp’s email wrote. 

The email was forwarded by one district administrator to others, to be discussed at a meeting on Sept. 12. The exchange also appeared to indicate school administrators recently discussed the issue with Sapp himself.

“You can let the team know that [JUSD administrator] & I received this from David Sapp with the Governor’s office on Monday when discussing the issue with them and we’re passing it along in case it is helpful for our discussion today,” the email wrote. 

Fox News Digital requested minutes and transcripts from the Sept. 12 meeting that the administrator’s email referenced from JUSD. The school district responded claiming it had no records it could share from the meeting.

“The September 12 meeting attended by [JUSD administrator] was an informal teleconference, which included, among other attendees, the District’s legal counsel. There were no minutes from the teleconference, and [JUSD administrator] did not take notes or create any documents,” a JUSD administrator told Fox News Digital.

“Any notes or documents prepared by district legal counsel have not been shared with any other party and, as such, are covered by the attorney-client work privilege and attorney work-product doctrine.”

A source within Newsom’s office provided a statement, on background, to Fox News Digital in January, in response to an inquiry for clarification on Sapp’s interaction with JUSD administrators.

“On September 8, 2025, [JUSD] Superintendent [Trenton] Hansen and Dave Sapp spoke regarding the USDOJ lawsuit mentioned in your email, which includes allegations related to Jurupa USD. Dave followed up to share a copy of the State’s Motion to Dismiss, which had been filed the week before and was otherwise publicly available. Dave did not give the district any directives or suggestions regarding its handling of the transgender athlete situation or related media interactions,” the statement read.

Trump’s administration cracked down with a more targeted investigation of JUSD in January. The U.S. Department of Education announced JUSD specifically would be investigated for potential Title IX violations, along with 17 other institutions.

Now, the California state track and field playoffs will likely be under the cloud of all of that, for a second year in a row.

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