A US federal judge has dismissed a Department of Justice lawsuit that sought to force California to bar transgender girls and women from girls' and women's school sports, allowing the state's existing policy to remain in place. This matters because it marks a setback for the Trump administration's efforts to use Title IX enforcement to restrict transgender athletes' participation, and it comes soon after a Supreme Court ruling that upheld states' right to impose such bans without requiring them to do so.

US District Judge Cynthia Valenzuela did not rule on the underlying fairness debate, instead finding that federal officials had failed to give California proper advance notice before threatening to withhold $44 billion (£35 billion) in education funding. The Justice Department said it was reviewing an appeal and remained committed to the policy. California has allowed transgender students to compete in line with their gender identity since 2013, a rule that gained prominence through athlete AB Hernandez, whose wins at state track and field championships prompted rival schools to forfeit volleyball matches and led officials to introduce duplicate medals for affected female competitors.