Sonja Shaw, a candidate for California state superintendent of public instruction, was removed from a California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Council meeting in Long Beach on Thursday after delivering an unscheduled speech demanding officials address transgender athlete participation in girls’ sports.
Shaw, president of the Chino Valley Unified School District Board of Education, told OutKick she was told she was trespassing and had to leave. She said police were called but that the responding officers were “very nice” and did not need to intervene.
Video provided to OutKick showed Shaw standing before the council challenging its members. “I’m here on the front lines to protect our girls and their sports,” she said, interrupting the meeting. “I’ve never been able to address you guys as a body.”
The meeting’s published agenda included a public hearing session allowing speakers three minutes each. Shaw said she arrived at 9:07 a.m. and had repeatedly asked CIF officials to place transgender athlete participation on a meeting agenda.
“If you think it’s okay for a boy to play against our girls in sports, which is happening, you’re Southern Section. You are the representatives to stand up and do something,” Shaw said. “You can fight back and stop using the state law. Federal supersedes state law.”
An official called for a brief recess, but Shaw kept speaking, asking attendees to stand if they were willing to “fight the good fight and protect our girls.” As officials approached and told her repeatedly that she had to leave, she called for a police escort.
“Call the cops, Mike. Let them escort me out,” Shaw said. “No, you know it’s not right to let me get three minutes.”
She continued addressing the room as she was walked toward the exit, saying, “So we have one guy in the room that’s willing to fight for our girls,” after one attendee appeared to stand in support.
Shaw also accused the organization of ignoring female athletes who have contacted her for help. “We begged you to put it on the agenda. Why don’t you tell them the truth? How many times I asked you to put it on the agenda? You have the emails,” she said. “We have girls right now reaching out to me asking for help, and you’re sitting here acting like I’m some crazy lunatic because I’m interrupting a meeting.”
“I’m recording because I want people to see that you’re the representatives doing nothing,” she said before leaving. “I don’t care about losing votes. I don’t care about a seat. The point is, none of you are willing to do anything.”
Legal fight over CIF policy
The incident took place amid an ongoing clash between California and the federal government over the state’s transgender athlete policies. California law requires students to be permitted to participate in sex-segregated school programs and activities, including athletic teams, consistent with their gender identity. CIF’s gender-identity participation policy follows that requirement.
The Trump administration has argued the policy violates Title IX’s protections against sex discrimination. The Justice Department sued the California Department of Education and CIF in July 2025, alleging the rules deny female athletes equal opportunities by allowing biological males to compete in girls’ sports. California officials have defended their policies as consistent with state law.
A federal judge dismissed the Justice Department’s lawsuit on Aug. 31. The court did not rule on whether allowing transgender girls to compete in girls’ sports violates Title IX, instead finding that California lacked clear notice that excluding transgender athletes was a condition of receiving federal education funding. The Justice Department said it was evaluating a potential appeal.
The issue drew national attention when transgender athlete AB Hernandez competed in the girls’ division at the CIF state track and field championships. CIF introduced a pilot process allowing an additional biological female athlete to advance and receive a medal in events involving a transgender competitor, but critics, including Shaw, said the accommodation did not resolve the underlying fairness issue.
Shaw has made parental rights and protections for female athletes central to her campaign. She advanced from California’s June primary and faces San Diego Unified School District board member Richard Barrera in November’s election for state superintendent of public instruction. CIF did not respond to a request for comment.
