(CNS) - President Trump has again threatened California with possible fines and loss of federal education funds for allowing a transgender athlete from Jurupa Valley High School to compete in the CIF state track and field meet last weeked in Clovis.
Trump posted Tuesday on social media that Gov. Gavin Newsom ``fully understands, large scale fines will be imposed'' following the California interscholastic Federation state meet and AB Hernandez's participation in three events on Saturday.
Under a rule change by the CIF just three days before the meet, Hernandez shared first place gold medals with girls in the triple jump and high Jump and finished second in the long jump.
The new rule awards biological female athletes the place on the podium they would have earned if not for the presence of biological male transgender athletes.
Hernandez's mother, Nereyda Hernandez, praised her daughter after the events in a statement provided to the Times, saying, ``As your mother, i cannot fully express how proud i am of you.''
Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice announced it is opening an investigation to determine if a state law allowing transgender athletes to compete on female sports teams at California schools violates the federal title IX civil rights law.
The investigation specifically targets state Assembly Bill 1266, the 2013 legislation aimed at preventing discrimination against transgender students and ensuring their right to take part in school activities, including athletics.
It also targets a CIF bylaw ``that permits, directs, instructs or requires california high schools to allow males to participate in girls' interscholastic athletics, thereby depriving girls and young women of equal athletic opportunities.''
The DOJ investigation announcement last week came one day after Trump posted on social media that he would withhold federal funding from california if transgender athletes are allowed to compete in girls sports, and he called on local authorities to prevent hernandez from competing in the cif state meet.
His post said, "California, under the leadership of radical left Democrat Gavin Newsom, continues to illegally allow `men to play in women's sports.' "
(Photo Getty Images)