Controversy grows as California forces schools to switch to athletics league that lets males in girls sports

Tahoe Truckee Unified School District student Ava Cockrum spoke at a board meeting against the recent California order for her school to switch sports leagues. (Credit: Tahoe Truckee Unified School District)

The California Department of Education (CDE) has stood by its demand that the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District (TTUSD) switch sports associations to a league that allows biological male trans athletes to compete in girls sports. 

The switch would require the school to embark on much longer and more treacherous road trips to competing schools, and critics say that will cause distress and safety concerns among students and parents. 

Students would have to travel through California's Donner Pass, a 7,056-foot mountain pass. During winter, the pass is known for being dangerous due to extreme weather conditions like heavy snowfall, strong winds and icy roads. 

The high elevation and frequent storms contribute to treacherous travel conditions, including the potential for avalanches. 

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At a school board meeting this week, residents expressed their opposition to the CDE's mandate for the TTUSD to switch from the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA) to the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF).

Truckee High School girls track and field athlete Ava Cockrum spoke about the danger the commute would present for her and other students. 

"It's dangerous," Cockrum said. "It just doesn't seem safe at all. … You're going to be prone to danger." 

Cockrum also protested the notion of girls having to compete against males. 

"I don't see how it would be fair for female athletes to compete against a biological male because they're stronger, they're taller,