A California high school athlete’s objection to sharing locker room space with a transgender teammate has escalated into a federal civil rights investigation, with the student now reporting severe harassment and an abrupt end to her athletic career.

Hadeel Hazameh, a former girls’ volleyball and track-and-field athlete at Jurupa Valley High School, publicly refused to change clothes in the same facility as a transgender teammate, citing her Muslim faith. The backlash, she states, was immediate and severe. Hazameh reports receiving death threats and being routinely insulted on campus, alleging the school did not adequately intervene. The experience led her to quit both sports and accelerate her studies to graduate early this past December.

“I was looking very forward to track… I really miss volleyball,” Hazameh told Fox News Digital. “After I went public… of course, everyone doesn’t like me anymore.”

Her protest, along with that of a fellow teammate, evolved into a lawsuit against the Jurupa Unified School District, filed with the assistance of the legal group Advocates for Faith & Freedom.

The controversy placed the school district squarely in the national debate over transgender athletes. The spotlight intensified last year when transgender student AB Hernandez won state championships in girls’ track-and-field events. Following these wins, the school faced opponents forfeiting volleyball games and commentary from President Donald Trump.

Now, the U.S. Department of Education under the Trump administration has opened an investigation into the district, examining whether its policies violate Title IX by discriminating against female athletes. This probe is part of a broader federal review, with officials confirming active investigations into 18 school districts and colleges nationwide.

The administration’s stance was cemented by an executive order in February 2025, directing agencies to interpret Title IX as prohibiting transgender girls and women from competing on corresponding sports teams and authorizing the withholding of federal funds from non-compliant institutions.

As the federal investigation proceeds, the case highlights the deeply personal and legal conflicts emerging at the intersection of gender identity, religious belief, and school policy.