Maine found in violation of Title IX over transgender athletes after Trump clashed with governor

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: AP

Updated 4:21 PM EDT, March 19, 2025


WASHINGTON (AP) — Maine’s education office is being ordered to ban transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports or face federal prosecution, an escalation in President Donald Trump’s threats to pull federal money from states and schools over transgender athletes.

The U.S. Education Department on Wednesday said an investigation concluded Maine’s education office violated the Title IX antidiscrimination law by allowing transgender girls to compete on girls’ sports teams and use girls’ facilities. It’s giving Maine 10 days to comply with a list of demands or face Justice Department prosecution.

“If Maine does not swiftly and completely come into compliance with Title IX, we will initiate the process to limit MDOE’s access to federal funding,” Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights, said in a statement.

The federal investigation into Maine’s Department of Education was opened Feb. 21, just hours after Trump and the state’s Democratic governor, Janet Mills, clashed over the issue at a meeting of governors at the White House. During the heated exchange, Mills told the Republican president, “We’ll see you in court.” Messages to Mills’ office and the state’s education department were not immediately answered.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/transgender-athletes-girls-sports-maine-7241a5d126d2df4368ffe115cc212252

[AZJonnie]

1. Is there some particular athlete or athletes at issue here, i.e. ones currently competing in Maine?

Either way I applaud the Governor's stance, either she's standing up for a very small population at great political risk, OR she's playing with house money. By the latter case, I mean imagine if the DoJ went to the trouble of bringing this high profile case and the lawyers for the state education department could accurately argue 'there are currently no XY persons competing in XX-designated school sports in the State of Maine' and the DoJ can't show that there are, and the judge goes 'okay, dismissed' on day one.

[Prairie Gates]

3. You can have a written policy that's not in compliance with Title IX

It doesn't have to be a demonstrated current practice.

She said she will see them in court and she absolutely should direct the relevant agencies to file in court. Otherwise it was bluff and bluster and Trump called it and he wins if she folds.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

4. There are two trans girls competing in high school sports in Maine this academic year.

[Mawspam2]

2. Ignore this as the DoEducation no longer exists!

Screw you, Donald.

[SunSeeker]

5. Right? This is the Civil Rights section of the Department of Education making this "finding".

But Trump said he is signing an Executive Order today closing the Department of Education.

A White House fact sheet said the order would direct Secretary Linda McMahon “to take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure (of) the Department of Education and return education authority to the States, while continuing to ensure the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.”

So how about returning education authority for Maine schools to Maine?

[sinkingfeeling]

6. What Department of Education? Thought that's being dismantled by EO today.

[2naSalit]

7. LOL!

Yeah, "you've got ten days to comply" before we shut down the entity you're supposed to comply with.

Makes perfect sense. I can't wait until they are vanquished and I don't care how brutally that is accomplished.

[Initech]

8. We have a screaming toddler in chief.

[Owens]

9. I thought the Department of Education was shut down?

[Mosby]

10. Is this going to be the beginning of the end for title 9?

I hope not, but this is where the transgender issue is heading, into courts led by the lawyers.

My prediction, the winners will be the lawyers.

[onenote]

11. This action is not inconsistent with today's EO

Folks are making assumptions about today's EO without actually reading it.

One of the sections of the EO states as follows:"Consistent with the Department of Education’s authorities, the Secretary of Education shall ensure that the allocation of any Federal Department of Education funds is subject to rigorous compliance with Federal law and Administration policy, including the requirement that any program or activity receiving Federal assistance terminate illegal discrimination obscured under the label “diversity, equity, and inclusion” or similar terms and programs promoting gender ideology."

So going after Maine on DEI is in line with the EO.

Which sucks, of course.

[bluestarone]

12. TSF doesn't know anything about this crap. So

Who is feeding all these orders for him, i wonder? Who's the man behind the screen here?

[orangecrush]

13. Then Maine should stop paying federal taxes

Last edited Thu Mar 20, 2025, 07:42 PM - Edit history (1)

[MichMan]

14. States don't pay Federal taxes, their residents do