Maine Defies Federal Deadline on Transgender Athlete Ban

State leaders reject Trump administration's Title IX compliance agreement, risking legal action and loss of federal funding.

Maine officials and school districts refused to comply with a federal directive to bar transgender athletes from girls' sports, citing state laws protecting gender identity.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services had given Maine entities 10 days to sign an agreement or face referral to the Department of Justice for enforcement.
The Trump administration argues that allowing transgender athletes in girls' sports violates Title IX, while Maine officials claim compliance would breach the state's Human Rights Act.
Public opinion in Maine largely supports restricting girls' sports to biological females, with recent polling showing 63% of residents in favor of such measures.
Governor Janet Mills has vowed to take legal action if federal funding is withheld, intensifying the legal and political standoff between state and federal authorities.