More women continue to be silenced in the face of the inclusion of trans athletes sabotaging women's sports.

In California, Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) volleyball players Madison Shaw, Gracie Shaw, and Brielle Galli are taking a stand against what they view as an injustice affecting their team, challenging state collegiate policies protecting transgender athletes.

OutKick obtained, exclusively through ICONS (Independent Council on Women's Sports), the federal Title IX complaint filed by the players, which is an effort not only to remove trans volleyball player Ximena Gomez from women's competition but also to hold California accountable under federal law, with the backing of Title IX protections.

OutKick reached out to Santa Rosa Junior College administrators and coaches with questions about why players who raised Title IX concerns were benched instead of protected from retaliation, how the school justified rostering a trans athlete despite safety incidents, what actions the Title IX office took after locker room privacy complaints, why the college followed 3C2A policy over federal law despite funding risks, and how the Athletic Department ensures compliance when coaching decisions affect equal opportunity.

Santa Rosa spokesperson Sarah Pew responded to OutKick on Thursday:

"Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) is committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for all students and employees. The District complies with California Community College Athletic Association (3C2A) regulations, which govern student eligibility and participation in our athletic programs.

"We respect the legal privacy rights of all students and cannot discuss individual circumstances. What we can affirm is that SRJC takes all reports seriously and responds through established procedures."

READ THE FULL COMPLAINT

The key questions focus on why athletes alleging Title IX violations were sidelined, how safety and privacy concerns were addressed, and whether the college prioritized state policy over federal law.

Filed with the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, the complaint by the three volleyball players accuses SRJC and the California Community College Athletic Association (3C2A) of violating Title IX by allowing Gomez, born a male, to compete on the women's volleyball team.

Upon seeing Santa Rosa's statement, William Bock, attorney for the Independent Council on Women's Sports (ICONS), issued a response of his own:

"It is inexcusable that Santa Rosa Junior College will not provide an honest, substantive, or coherent response that owns up to the many months in which SRJC has callously prioritized the selfish demand of a man to play on SRJC's women's varsity volleyball team, instead of protecting the safety, equal opportunities, and locker room privacy of its young women and volleyball players.

"It is not 'inclusive' or 'supportive' to help men to steal women's opportunities and trample women's rights in varsity sports. The truth is that Madison and Gracie Shaw and Brielle Galli are courageous young girls who have been willingly sacrificed by SRJC administrators to radical gender ideology and the selfish desires of a man.

"Madison, Gracie, and Brielle must now look to the federal government to move swiftly to protect them and to hold SRJC and its administrators and the California Community College Athletic Association accountable for violating Title IX, discriminating against girls, and failing to protect the rights of girls in varsity junior college sports.

"SRJC and the California Community College Athletic Association made a conscious choice to discriminate against women and ignore federal law, and they must be held accountable. It is long past time to end the continuing egregious discrimination against women throughout the California scholastic sports system, including at Santa Rosa Junior College and at all 112 California junior colleges with varsity athletics programs."

At SRJC, the women have been forced to compete with Gomez, a male competing against females, thanks in large part to a district-wide policy at Santa Rosa that encourages males to complete a year-long testosterone suppression treatment to start playing against women.

As is often seen, the school administration, notably in California, has worked behind the scenes to back its trans player against women's objections and outcries.

The sisters -- Madison, a sophomore, and Gracie, a freshman -- joined by their volleyball teammate Brielle, a freshman, have become outspoken advocates for protecting women's safety, privacy and equal athletic opportunity.

Sharing a space with Gomez highlighted the importance of speaking up.

The players argue that current policies undermine decades of progress for women in sports, echoing the movement kick-started by OutKick's Riley Gaines to keep men definitively out of women's sports.

Gomez's presence has led to actual injury to women, which is already documented in several cases, including San Jose State's Blaire Fleming.

In late 2024, Ximena Gomez spiked a ball that struck a teammate in the head during an SRJC practice session, causing a concussion that sidelined her for two weeks.

The case mirrors a similar story from Payton McNabb, the North Carolina volleyball player struck in the face with a spike, resulting in long-term head and neck injuries.

On August 28, 2025, another spike by Gomez hit Gracie Shaw in the face during practice. The complaint notes that Gomez's spike moved at an unprecedented speed.

When the three women -- the Shaws and Galli -- raised concerns, they say they faced retaliation instead of support. Locker room access also added to their frustration. Gomez was permitted inside while teammates changed, though he did not undress in front of them.

The players stated that the arrangement left them feeling exposed and uncomfortable.

According to the complaint, seven-year SRJC women's volleyball coach Ally Sather benched the three players, cut their playing time, and withheld equal coaching attention.

During an August tournament, the women staged a protest, sitting on the bench in uniform while Gomez played.

Despite the controversy, Gomez has been prominently featured on the team's official Instagram account.

After refusing to play alongside Gomez in a preseason scrimmage, the three women lost their starting positions, and a requested team meeting was canceled.

In late August, Madison stepped away from the team while Gomez remained. Gracie and Brielle now face a difficult choice: continue playing under protest or sit out, risking their limited two-year eligibility.

At the center of their Title IX complaint is the California Community College Athletic Association Transgender Participation Policy (TPP), first adopted in 2020, revised in 2021, and revised again in 2023.

The policy allows male athletes to join women's teams after one year of testosterone suppression.

Still, the policy showed major flaws -- refusing to set a specific testosterone limit, requiring no independent testing, and permitting athletes who merely 'identified' as female before enrolling to compete without disclosing their biological sex.

The women argue this undermines Title IX's protections, and that this misguided policy seemingly allows a loophole for all of California's 112 community colleges.

Madison Shaw, Gracie Shaw and Brielle Galli's fight mirrors a broader national movement.

More women have joined ICONS and Riley Gaines to push back against men in women's sports.

In early 2025, federal executive orders under President Trump reinforced Title IX by barring men from women's athletics, measures that directly conflict with California's gender-identity policies, including the TPP disputed by the women at Santa Rosa.

The SRJC filing comes on the heels of the AB Hernandez case in California, where a high school male track and field athlete's participation in the girls' state championships has caused a major uproar.

While the objections come from outside, some also foment inside school administrations, though they seemingly don't turn to action.

In the complaint, Santa Rosa Athletic Director Matt Markovich is noted admitting that the college risked federal funding by prioritizing state policy over Title IX, but took no corrective action, allowing the policy to remain in effect.

The women's complaint calls for an immediate federal investigation, a ruling that the TPP violates Title IX, the suspension of funding for noncompliant colleges, the imposition of penalties, and the establishment of new rules ensuring that only biological females, excluding 'trans' men, compete on women's teams.

For Madison, Gracie, and Brielle, the fight is about principle.

With only two years to compete, they've risked their positions to defend fairness in women's sports. They collectively view Gomez's participation as a direct threat to the safety and equality promised under Title IX, which has empowered women in athletics for over 50 years.

As their complaint moves forward, their voices carry a clear demand: justice for female athletes and a level playing field for future generations.

William Bock, attorney for the Independent Council on Women's Sports (ICONS), issued a statement on Santa Rosa's response.

"It is inexcusable that Santa Rosa Junior College will not provide an honest, substantive, or coherent response that owns up to the many months in which SRJC has callously prioritized the selfish demand of a man to play on SRJC's women's varsity volleyball team, instead of protecting the safety, equal opportunities, and locker room privacy of its young women and volleyball players.

"It is not 'inclusive' or 'supportive' to help men to steal women's opportunities and trample women's rights in varsity sports. The truth is that Madison and Gracie Shaw and Brielle Galli are courageous young girls who have been willingly sacrificed by SRJC administrators to radical gender ideology and the selfish desires of a man.

"Madison, Gracie, and Brielle must now look to the federal government to move swiftly to protect them and to hold SRJC and its administrators and the California Community College Athletic Association accountable for violating Title IX, discriminating against girls, and failing to protect the rights of girls in varsity junior college sports.

"SRJC and the California Community College Athletic Association made a conscious choice to discriminate against women and ignore federal law, and they must be held accountable. It is long past time to end the continuing egregious discrimination against women throughout the California scholastic sports system, including at Santa Rosa Junior College and at all 112 California junior colleges with varsity athletics programs."