The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services served a notice of violation to the state of Maine on Feb. 25, and declared the state violated Title IX by allowing trans athletes to compete in girls’ sports.
According to the notice, obtained by Fox News Digital, the Maine Department of Education is violating Title IX by denying female student athletes “an equal opportunity” to participate in athletics “by allowing male athletes to compete against female athletes in current and future athletic events.”
The notice also states if the violations are not corrected, a referral may be made to the Department of Justice.
The Maine State House is seen at dawn, Jan. 3, 2024, in Augusta. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
The notice came amid a feud between President Donald Trump and Maine Gov. Janet Mills over the state’s refusal to comply with the president’s February executive order to keep biological males out of women’s and girls’ sports.
The state has been called “ground zero” in the national battle over banning and protecting trans inclusion in women’s sports after state lawmaker Laurel Libby made a social media post pointing out a trans athlete who won a girls’ pole vault competition in February.
“If Maine Democrats continue to double down on allowing biological males to participate in girls’ sports, our students stand to lose hundreds of millions of dollars of federal funding. Gov. Mills and legislative Democrats have a renewed opportunity to do the right thing, to ensure restored funding and a fair and level playing field for Maine girls,” Libby told Fox News Digital in response to the news of the determined violation.
“I appreciate the Trump administration’s swift and decisive action, and will continue to stand firm with our shared mission of upholding the rights of Maine women and girls.”
Libby’s revelation of the trans athlete ignited national conversation and coverage of the state’s policy on trans inclusion after Maine announced it would not comply with Trump’s executive order.
Trump then vowed to cut funding to the state for refusing to follow his order during a gathering of governors at the White House.
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One day later, Mills’ office responded with a statement threatening legal action against the Trump administration if it did withhold federal funding from the state. Then, Trump and Mills verbally sparred in a widely publicized argument at the White House during a bipartisan meeting of governors.
Just hours after that interaction, the U.S. Department of Education announced it will be investigating the state for allowing trans athletes to compete in girls’ sports and potential Title IX violations.
Police protection has since been assigned to the high school that is attended by the trans athlete who Libby identified in her Facebook post, amid concerns over safety.
The Maine House of Representatives voted to censure Libby on Feb. 25, the same day that the Health and Human Services Department found the state violated Title IX.
The controversy even incited a protest against Mills, called “the March Against Mills,” which took place outside Maine’s State House Saturday morning. Several female athletes took the microphone at the march to speak out against their Democratic governor.
In response, one day after that, pro-trans activists protested outside of Libby’s home, in opposition to her beliefs about transgender athletes in women’s and girls’ sports.
Just eight protesters appeared outside Libby’s home with signs reading “Shame on you Laurel 4 exploiting a child 4 your political gain” and “protect trans youth,” according to The Maine Wire.
President Donald Trump and Maine Gov. Janet Mills clashed at the White House over executive order compliance. (Pool via AP/Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Trump re-affirmed his intent to punish states that continue to let trans athletes compete with girls during Tuesday night’s joint address to Congress.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt insisted Trump “won’t back down” as he goes after these states.
“The president has made a commitment to ensure that states are being held accountable if they continue to allow men in women’s sports, which he believes is an egregious violation of taxpayer dollars, and so that fight continues and the president won’t back down,” Leavitt said. “This is a commonsense policy, 80% of the American people, including more than 60% of Democrats, do not want men in women’s sports.”
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