DOE investigating 2 Maine school districts for potential Title IX violations

Two more Maine school districts are under investigation by the Trump administration for potential violations of his interpretation of Title IX.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order in February 2025 that seeks to bar transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports.

Supporters of Trump’s executive order argue it protects the integrity of women’s sports under Title IX, which a federal law prohibiting sex-based discrimination.

Maine officials are adhering to the Maine Human Rights Act, a state law, which protects against discrimination based on gender identity.

The US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights announced investigations into 18 districts in 10 states, including RSUs 19 and 57 in Maine.

RSU 19 is in the Newport area and RSU 57 is in the Waterboro area.

The investigation stems from complaints issued to the Education Department that claim the districts are allowing transgender students to compete on athletic teams that match their gender identity and not their biological sex.

There’s still an active lawsuit against the state of Maine filed by the Justice Department last year, which claims the Maine Human Rights Act violates Title IX.

Similar cases from other states are also being heard this week by the Supreme Court.

The ruling from those cases could have wide-ranging impacts, including in Maine.