Overview

• The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights determined Maine violated Title IX by allowing a transgender athlete, born male, to compete in a women's high school pole-vaulting competition.
• The ruling follows a February 2025 state championship win by the athlete, prompting a federal investigation under a Trump administration executive order prohibiting biological males from competing in women's sports.
• Maine's Governor Janet Mills opposes the federal order, citing conflicts with the state's Human Rights law, which allows sports participation based on gender identity.
• The Office for Civil Rights has given Maine's Department of Education, the Maine Principals’ Association, and Greely High School 10 days to resolve the violation or face referral to the Department of Justice.
• Non-compliance could result in the loss of federal funding for Maine's educational programs, intensifying political tensions between state and federal authorities.