Maine
Maine School Superintendents Association supports changes to sports policies
AUGUSTA — The Maine School Superintendents Association supports a bill that would change state law to prohibit transgender girls from competing in girls’ sports.
The bill, introduced by Rep. Elizabeth Caruso, R-Caratunk, would require sports teams to be designated as male, female, or coed, and would prohibit students who are biologically male from competing in girls’ sports.
Support for LD 1337 clashes with the steps taken in support of the Maine Human Rights Act by the Maine Principals’ Association, the group that oversees high school sports, but aligns with executive orders signed by President Donald J. Trump that prohibits transgender girls from participating in girls’ sports.
Transgender students in Maine can play sports on the team that aligns with their gender identity under the Maine Human Rights Act.
A spokesperson for the Maine School Superintendents Association said the organization is not ready to comment on its position on the bill, despite listing its support on its website. The association, which represents superintendents across Maine, publicly posts its positions on legislative bills.
“There are several other bills in the Legislature on this very sensitive issue that the MSSA Legislative Committee does not support,” Robbie Feinberg, association spokesperson said. “We are currently developing our testimony on all of these measures, and we also understand that there will be more bills coming later on in the legislative session. Until we see and have considered all of these bills, we are not prepared to share our testimony on this one LD.”
The Maine School Superintendents Association and the Maine School Boards Association are housed under the Maine School Management Association. The Maine School Management Association provides sample policies for school districts and can help school boards in the process to hire a superintendent.
It differs from the Maine Principals’ Association, which represents the state’s principals and oversees and regulates high school sports.
The Maine Principals’ Association has defended its position in following the Maine Human Rights Act, a state law that grants civil liberties on race, gender, religion, and other areas, to all Mainers; and has received national heat from the groups’ refusal to sign a resolution agreement that aligns with the Trump administration’s executive order to prohibit transgender girls from participating in girl’s sports.
Maine schools receive 10.7% of their overall funding — about $250 million — from the federal government to support Title I, which supplements state and local funding for low-achieving children, especially in high-poverty schools; school lunches; and special education. It is unclear if any federal funding is in jeopardy because of the decision by the MPA and Maine Department of Education to not sign the Trump administration’s agreement.
Jared M. Bornstein, an attorney at Preti Flaherty and a spokesperson for the Maine Principals’ Association, said that the association is currently complying with the law and Maine Human Rights Act.
“We encourage stakeholders and decision makers in the statehouse to have the debate about what the law and our policy will be moving forward. MPA is neutral on all current pending legislation and will testify in an information providing neither for nor against position,” the association spokesperson said.
A document on the association’s website says that the superintendents association met on April 1 to discuss the round of bills that included LD 1337.
Meeting minutes from February show the association’s executive committee met with Pender Makin, commissioner of the Maine Department of Education, who reminded the association that Maine schools follow state law, not federal law, specifically when referring to the Title IX executive order made by the Trump administration.
Makin stated the same position when several Maine schools faced a federal injunction last year over the Biden administration’s updated Title IX policies that included a policy for protection against discrimination over gender identity.
The Kennebec regional legislative representative for the Maine Schools Superintendent Association did not respond for a comment on the matter.
This story will be updated.