US finds Maine policy on transgender athletes violates law
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/us-finds-maine-policy-on-transgender-athletes-violates-law/ar-AA1B6ptB?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=b1b1f77a25e6438788530610a298c9a1&ei=93
Story by Reuters (18 March 2025)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Trump administration said on Monday that it had determined Maine educational authorities were in violation of federal law prohibiting sex discrimination by allowing transgender girls to participate in school sports.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order last month to exclude transgender girls and women from female-only sports, a directive that supporters say will restore fairness but critics say infringes on the rights of a tiny minority of athletes.
The order directs the Department of Justice to make sure all government agencies enforce a ban under Trump's interpretation of Title IX, a law against sex discrimination in education.
In a statement, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said it had given the Maine Department of Education, the Maine Principals' Association and Greely High School in Cumberland, Maine, 10 days to resolve the alleged violation or it would refer the matter to the Department of Justice.
In 2021, Maine legislators updated a state law to explicitly prohibit discrimination based on gender identity.
The backstory on this. It started with an argument between Trump and Maine's Governor Mills.
Trump: "Are you not going to comply with it?"
Mills: "I'm complying with state and federal laws."
Trump: "Well I'm...we are the federal law. You better do it. You better do it. Because you're not going to get any federal funding at all if you don't."
Mills: "See you in court."
Source Link (https://wgme.com/news/local/president-donald-trump-administration-gives-maine-10-days-to-bar-trans-athletes-from-girls-sports-education-athletics-students-lgbtq-title-ix-civil-rights#)