Maine school officials explained on Monday why they were in “noncompliance with Title IX” as the Trump administration referred the state to the Justice Department after it failed to bar transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports.
The state defied President Donald Trump’s executive order banning biological males from competing in women’s and girls’ sports. The Health and Human Services Department gave the state 10 days to correct its policies through a signed agreement or risk referral to the DOJ.
The State House is seen in Augusta, Maine, on June 9, 2011. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)
The deadline came and went and the Health and Human Services Department’s Office of Civil Rights followed through on its promise Friday, vowing to protect female athletes.
“Today, OCR referred Maine’s noncompliance with Title IX to @TheJusticeDept for enforcement in court for continuing to unlawfully allow males to compete against females,” the department announced in a post on X.
“HHS will continue to protect women’s sports and keep the promises of Title IX for America’s women and girls.”
The Maine School Administrative District 51, home to Greely High School, where a transgender athlete incited national controversy after winning a girls’ pole vault competition in February, said Thursday it was not complying and will instead “continue to follow state law and the Maine Human Rights Act.”
Fox News obtained statements that the Maine Principals’ Association and the Maine School Administrative District 51 both released to the community.
“The Maine Principals’ Association is bound by the law, including the Maine Human Rights Act (MHRA), which our participation policy reflects,” officials said. “We are unable to sign any resolution agreement that would mandate we create a new policy that would violate the law and MHRA.
“As such, we have not signed and will not sign the resolution agreement sent by the Federal Department of Health and Human Services. With respect to the Federal Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights, resolution agreement, we were not a direct recipient of that agreement, so we are not required to respond.”
MAINE RESIDENTS AGREE WITH KEEPING TRANS ATHLETES OUT OF GIRLS’ AND WOMEN’S SPORTS, POLL SHOWS
Gov. Janet Mills attends an event, March 11, 2022, in Augusta, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)
Maine School Administrative District 51 also pointed to the Maine Human Rights Act.
“The MSAD #51 Board of Directors is guided by the Mission, Vision, and Core Values of our district. This includes promoting a safe, caring and ethical learning environment where each person will be treated with respect and fairness; and individuals are recognized, valued and supported,” the letter read.
“To our students: Thank you for your maturity, perseverance, and dedication to learning through these distractions. Please continue to lead the way.
“To our teachers and staff: We deeply appreciate your unwavering commitment to our students. Your dedication makes a profound impact, and we are grateful for your resilience and compassion. Please note that no Board policies have changed at this time. We encourage you to continue supporting every student, socially and academically, as you always have.”
The Maine Human Rights Act was amended four years ago to add gender identity as a protected class and specifically stated that denying a person an equal opportunity to participate in sports is discrimination against education. The Maine Principals’ Association updated its policy to allow athletes to compete against the gender they identify as last year.
Maine Gov. Janet Mills, Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey and Maine’s Education Department have not responded to requests for comment.
Amid the feud between the Trump administration and the state of Maine, a University of New Hampshire poll released last week showed that most Maine residents agree that transgender athletes should not compete in girls’ and women’s sports.
The poll showed that 64% of Maine residents believe transgender athletes “definitely should not” or “probably should not” participate in girls’ and women’s sports. Only 29% of Maine residents believed that transgender athletes “probably should” or “definitely should” compete against girls and women in sports.
The poll also showed that 56% of Maine Democrats believe that transgender athletes should be allowed to compete in girls’ and women’s sports.
When it came to enacting policies to combat the issue of transgender participation in sports, the poll showed that 50% of Maine residents wanted it at the federal level, while 41% believe policy should be left up to the states.
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CB Cotton currently serves as correspondent for FOX News Channel (FNC), based in New York City. She joined the network in February 2023.
