Administration cracks down on school for letting a trans girl join a co-ed cheerleading squadhttps://www.lgbtqnation.com/2026/01/administration-cracks-down-on-school-for-letting-a-trans-girl-join-a-co-ed-cheerleading-squad/ 🔗John Russell (16 Jan 2026)
The U.S. Department of Education is reportedly investigating a Maine school district over a complaint about a transgender member of one school's co-ed cheerleading team.
According to the Portland Press Herald, a U.S. Department of Education spokesperson said that the complaint against Regional School Unit 19, one of two Maine school districts under investigation, alleges that the district "allowed a male student to use female facilities and join the girls' cheerleading squad."
But RSU 19 superintendent Michael Hammer told the paper that the cheerleading squad in question is a co-ed team.
"Boys can join, girls can join. No one lost a place on the team because a transgender student joined," Hammer said. (Hammer did not address allegations that the district "allowed a male student to use female facilities.")
Hammer told the Press Herald that a letter the district received from the Education Department notifying him of the federal civil rights investigation was the first time he'd ever heard of anyone having a problem with an alleged trans student's participation on the school's cheerleading squad.
Hammer said the letter alleged that a trans girl joined a district middle school's cheerleading team in February, but it neglected to acknowledge that the team is co-ed.
