U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Wednesday that the Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against the state of Maine, escalating President Donald Trump’s standoff with the state over its refusal to implement a ban on transgender athletes in women’s and girls’ sports. Maine officials have not yet responded to requests for comment.
The lawsuit comes five days after the administration tried to cut off all of Maine’s federal funding for public schools and its school lunch program over the issue, following a February 21 meeting of Trump and a group of U.S. governors where he clashed with Maine’s Democratic governor, Janet Mills.
At the meeting, Trump threatened to withhold funding from Maine if the state refused to comply with an executive order he had signed barring transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s sports.
His threat prompted Mills to reply: “We’re going to follow the law, sir. We’ll see you in court.”
Wednesday’s lawsuit alleges that Maine is violating Title IX by allowing transgender female athletes to participate in girls’ and women’s sports in the state.
It cites two examples involving transgender athletes. In one case, from February, the complaint alleges that a transgender female won the pole vault competition at Maine’s indoor track and field meet, besting other competitors by a “significant margin.” A second example from February 2024 involved a transgender female who placed first in the women’s 5K race.
Bondi suggested that the presence of these athletes on girls’ teams placed the other athletes in danger. The complaint, however, does not make any allegations that female athletes in Maine are facing any danger from transgender athletes.
Trump frequently railed against transgender athletes while on the campaign trail. His executive order has been praised by supporters who say it will restore fairness, while critics say the directive infringes on the rights of a tiny minority of athletes.
Out of 510,000 athletes competing at the collegiate level, fewer than 10 publicly identify as transgender, NCAA President Charlie Baker said in January.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture notified Maine on April 2 that it was freezing school lunch funding, citing violations of Title IX, which affords legal protections against sex discrimination.
A U.S. District Court judge temporarily blocked the USDA from choking off funds after Maine sued the federal government. Earlier on April 2, the Department of Education announced that it was cutting off the state’s $250 million in K-12 public education funds as part of an administrative proceeding.
The DOE also said it was referring the matter to the Justice Department for a possible enforcement action under Title IX.
Maine’s assistant attorney general, Sarah Forster, told the DOE in an April 11 letter that the state would not sign a proposed draft resolution or any revisions.
“Nothing in Title IX or its implementing regulations prohibits schools from allowing transgender girls and women to participate on girls’ and women’s sports teams,” she wrote. “Your letters to date do not cite a single case that so holds.”
(With inputs from Reuters)
