Maine Refuses Trump Administration's Title IX Mandate on Transgender Athletes

State officials risk $250 million in federal education funding by defying the federal directive to restrict girls' sports to biological females.

Maine officials, including the Department of Education and the Maine Principals' Association, declined to comply with a federal agreement banning transgender athletes from girls' sports by the March 27 deadline.
The Trump administration's executive order requires Title IX to be interpreted based on biological sex, a policy Maine leaders argue conflicts with the state's Human Rights Act, which protects gender identity.
The refusal to comply could lead to the loss of $250 million in federal education funding, with the U.S. Department of Justice potentially stepping in to enforce compliance.
Governor Janet Mills has vowed to challenge the Trump administration in court, framing the issue as a broader conflict over federal authority versus state law.
Polling indicates a majority of Maine residents support restricting girls' sports to biological females, contrasting with the state's legal and institutional resistance to the federal mandate.