EXCLUSIVE: California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) came under fire this week for a trail of the season that saw a biologically male trans athlete in the top nine of three girls’ events.

CIF Southern Division Division 3 Prelims at Yorba Linda High School Saturday broke out in a political rally over the question of trans -cluttering in girls’ sports with several competitors and participants wearing shirts reading “Protect Girls Sports”, hoist picket signs and talk at a press conference.

During the meeting, officials allegedly prompted athletes to remove the “Protect Girls Sports” shirts and suppress their desire to express opposition to CIF gender eligibility policy. CIF has recognized for Pakinomist Digital, that the events took place and that the girls were wearing their school uniforms under the shirts.

“According to the CIF Southern Section Playoff Bulletin, all athletes must be dressed in proper, school-issued, track uniforms. The student athletes were asked to comply with this while in the field on-field when they were wearing a mentioned shirts over their school-issued uniform,” CIF said in a statement.

However, witnesses have told Pakinomist Digital that the officials did not give the same orders to athletes wearing other non-school-sensed shirts without the “Protect Girls Sports” message.

The protests came in response to a biologically male trans -athlete competing in girls’ high -mood, long -jump and triple jump to the Jurupa Valley High School.

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The trans -athlete eventually ended in the top nine of girls’ high -mood, long -jump and finished in first place in the triple jump. Due to placing in top-nine in all these events, the athlete will move on in the state’s semi-final, while the three female athletes who finished in 11th place in these events will all miss.

Meanwhile, many of the athletes who competed had to wait for an hour long break after temperatures exceeded 100 degrees Farenheit, which put the event in a weather delay due to dangerous heat levels.

Several female competitors told Pakinomist Digital that at the meeting, officials allegedly approached them and asked them to remove the shirts and did not give the girls the freedom to go and take them off elsewhere. The girls claim that the officials caused them to remove the shirts immediately under the supervision of the officials and did not give them further time or opportunities to do it elsewhere.

“They didn’t let us go and do anything unless we removed the shirt,” said 15-year-old Brea Olinda High School student Lily Ingallinera. “They said, ‘You need to remove it right now!’ … he did not leave until we took it off.

Fellow Brea Olinda student Julia Teven, 17, claimed an official gave similar orders to her.

“You could tell that he wouldn’t take no to an answer,” Teven said. “He was standing right there and saw us like ‘you need to better take it off’. It’s basically how it felt.”

Ingallinera added that she found the officer’s orders “weird” and preferred it if he asked her coach or a female official to forward the message instead.

“I thought it was a little weird that this adult man came up to us and lasting said ‘I need you to take it off.’ I think they should have asked our coaches to come and tell us instead of this official that I know is older than us and an adult adult, and I feel like either a woman should have done it or he should have done it on the speaker who tells everyone and not just individually to tell everyone, “Ingallinera said.

Teven and Crean Lutheran student Reese Hogan, 16, claimed that officials made them feel that if they did not remove their shirts, they would be disqualified from the event.

“It wasn’t said, but it was understood that if I didn’t take off my shirt then and there, then something could potentially happen to my place, it wasn’t said, but it was hinted at,” Hogan said. “During the day it became a little more stricter … to become a little more hostile with their voices … they never said anything about being disqualified, but it was kind of implied of the tone of their voice and the way they said things.”

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The girls claimed that the officials at the meeting went up to other athletes who wore “Protect Girls Sports” jerseys and caused these athletes to remove them as well.

Hogan added that she was forced to remove her shirt in the field during warm -ups and then again at the gate after stepping out of the room and trying to get back in while her hands were full of other supplies.

“I was like ‘is it okay if I go in and take it off? I don’t really have hands right now’ and she was like ‘No, you have to take it off, you can’t come in here with the shirt,'” Hogan claimed. “They just got us to remove the shirts wherever we were.”

Teven, Hogan and colleague Crean Lutheran student Olivia Viola said the officials told them that the rationale behind asking to remove the shirts was because the shirts were not official school uniforms. However, the girls also said that other athletes wearing gears with college names or other brands that were not official school uniforms were not asked to remove their shirts.

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“I just found it really, just like, it felt like it was unfair, just kind of targeted at what we stood for because the shirts didn’t say anything offensive. It wasn’t derogatory. All it said was to protect women’s sports,” Viola said. “And it was really clear that they would only have our shirts off because of what we supported, and did not care about the actual role because of the other athletes we are wearing.”

All four girls claim that the police presence at the meeting was increased to levels they had never seen on a high school track as the event became an ardal of the debate over the national conflict about trans athletes in girls’ sports. Jurupa Valley’s Trans-competitor has led to controversy throughout the season and broken long-term girls’ assignments at various meetings.

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In addition to the shirts and a press conference in which students, parents and community leaders spoke against CIF and California’s state government to continue to protect Trans -Inclusion, cheering the amount of spectators who were present, either either the Trans -competitor all day.

Recordings on social media show some spectators sang “It’s a boy!” On the athlete, while Viola said other fans only cheered for the trans athlete during the event while silent for the female competitors.

“I know it was like really, really split, specifically, like when he jumped, and it was as if you could see it, almost as if it felt like half of the stadium was that, against it. And then there was as a small part of people over here who would, who, cheers a lot for everything he did,” said Viola.

“It was just bothersome to me. It was a little sad to hear people cheering higher for the biological man who competed in a female sport than the females competing in the female sports. That part was just a little bit, that part was sad for me.”

However, the four girls also expressed sympathy for the athlete over the insults thrown at it by the other spectators.

“I don’t, I’m not condoling similar, bullying, shouting of this person. I think it’s 100% on the people who are authority that allows it to happen,” Viola said.

Teven and Ingallinera say they even talked to the athlete during breaks on Saturday, and don’t think the athlete is to blame for the situation

“I really think he doesn’t have a detrimental intention of girls sports. I think that’s the kind of cif that allows him that is kind of put him in his position,” Teven said. “I really think he’s just like being capable of cif and he just uses his apartment for him.”

Ingallinera even said the athlete was “very nice” and thinks the cif puts the athlete in an unreasonable position.

“I was talking to this guy and he was very much, he was very respectful, very kind. He didn’t really say anything hurtful things. I didn’t say anything rude to him. And I was like he was very nice,” Ingallinera said. “I think if CIF doesn’t allow them to compete, they would compete with Guy’s division instead of the girls.”

CIF is currently under investigation of the United States Department of Education To allow trans -athletes to compete in girls’ sports and potential violations of title IX.

California was one of the first states to openly defies President Donald Trump’s “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” executive order after he signed it on February 5th.

“CIF gives students the opportunity to belong, connect and compete in educational -based experiences in accordance with California Law [Education Code section 221.5. (f)] which allows students to participate in school programs and activities, including athletic teams and competitions that are in accordance with the student’s gender identity, regardless of the gender listed on the student’s posts, “said CIF, previously in a statement to Pakinomist Digital.

California High School Girls’ Athletes Wear ‘Protect Girls Sports’ Shirts In an autumn track meet at Yorba Linda High School on Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Courtesy of Reese Hogan)

California Governor Gavin Newsom addressed the question during an episode of his podcast in early March.

“Well, I think it’s a matter of justice,” Newsom told Conservative influencer Charlie Kirk. “I totally agree with you about it. It’s deeply unfair.

“So it is easy to call the unreasonable of it. There is also a humility and a grace … These poor people are more likely to commit suicide, have anxiety and depression, and the way people speak down to vulnerable societies is a question that I also have difficulty with.

“So both things can I hold in my hand. How can we solve this problem with the kind of decency that I think you know is inherent in you, but not always expressed over the question?

“The question you ask is the question we have been asking ourselves for months and have not been able to answer. What is that line? How can you do this fair? I have not been able to find out, and I am about as transparent to this as someone out there, especially in my party about this. To the extent that anyone can and do it in a way that is respectful and responsible and could find it kind of balance.”

Pakinomist Digital reached the Newsom’s office on the latest controversy but has not heard back.