(a) No city, county, city and county, or special district, including, but not limited to, a community services district, recreation and park district, regional park district, regional park and open-space district, regional open-space park district, or resort improvement district shall discriminate against any person on the basis of sex or gender in the operation, conduct, or administration of community youth athletics programs or in the allocation of parks and recreation facilities and resources that support or enable these programs.

(b) The Unruh Civil Rights Act (§ 51 of the Civil Code) has been held to prohibit local governmental agencies from discriminating on the bases proscribed by the act, and Section 11135 also prohibits local governmental agencies that receive financial assistance from the state from discriminating on the basis of gender, among other bases.

Ask a legal question, get an answer ASAP!
Click here to chat with a lawyer about your rights.

(c) As used in this section, “community youth athletics program” means any athletic program in which youth solely or predominantly participate, that is organized for the purposes of training for and engaging in athletic activity and competition, and that is in any way operated, conducted, administered, supported, or enabled by a city, county, city and county, or special district.

(d) As used in this section, “parks and recreation facilities and resources” include, but are not limited to, park facilities, including, but not limited to, athletic fields, athletic courts, gymnasiums, recreational rooms, restrooms, concession stands and storage spaces; lands and areas accessed through permitting, leasing, or other land use arrangements, or otherwise accessed through cities, counties, cities and counties, or special districts; sports and recreation equipment; devices used to promote athletics such as scoreboards, banners, and advertising; and all moneys used in conjunction with youth athletics.

(e) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this section that girls shall be accorded opportunities for participation in community youth athletics programs equal, both in quality and scope, to those accorded to boys.

(f) In civil actions brought under this section or under other applicable antidiscrimination laws alleging discrimination in community youth athletics programs, courts shall consider the following factors, among others, in determining whether discrimination exists:

(1) Whether the selection of community youth athletics programs offered effectively accommodate the athletic interests and abilities of members of both genders.

(2) The provision of moneys, equipment, and supplies.

(3) Scheduling of games and practice times.

(4) Opportunity to receive coaching.

(5) Assignment and compensation of coaches.

(6) Access to lands and areas accessed through permitting, leasing, or other land use arrangements, or otherwise accessed through a city, a county, a city and county, or a special district.

(7) Selection of the season for a sport.

(8) Location of the games and practices.

(9) Locker rooms.

(10) Practice and competitive facilities.

(11) Publicity.

(12) Officiation by umpires, referees, or judges who have met training and certification standards.

(g) In making the determination under paragraph (1) of subdivision (f), a court shall assess whether the city, county, city and county, or special district has effectively accommodated the athletic interests and abilities of both genders in any one of the following ways:

(1) The community youth athletics program opportunities for boys and girls are provided in numbers substantially proportionate to their respective numbers in the community.

(2) Where the members of one gender have been, and continue to be, underrepresented in community youth athletics programs, the city, county, city and county, or special district can show a history and continuing practice of program expansion and allocation of resources that are demonstrably responsive to the developing interests and abilities of the members of that gender.

(3) Where the members of one gender are underrepresented in community youth athletics programs, the city, county, city and county, or special district can demonstrate that the interests and abilities of the members of that gender have been fully and effectively accommodated by the present program and allocation of resources.

(h) Effective January 1, 2015, a city, county, city and county, and special district may no longer rely on paragraph (2) of subdivision (g) to show that they have accommodated the athletic interests and abilities of both genders.

(i) Nothing in this section shall be construed to invalidate any existing consent decree or any other settlement agreement entered into by a city, county, city and county, or special district to address gender equity in athletic programs.

(j) This section and any ordinances, regulations, or resolutions adopted pursuant to this section by a city, county, city and county, or special district may be enforced against a city, county, city and county, or special district by a civil action for injunctive relief or damages or both, which shall be independent of any other rights and remedies.

(Amended by Stats. 2005, Ch. 22, Sec. 96. Effective January 1, 2006.)