HHS expands Title IX probe in Maine to include athletic governing body, high school
The Trump administration has recently expanded its Title IX investigation into Maine, targeting violations of the president’s executive order that mandates educational and athletic institutions to prohibit biological males from participating in women’s sports. This move has put the Maine Principals Association and Greely High School under scrutiny, as they are now being added to the list of entities being investigated by the Health and Human Services (HHS) Department for alleged Title IX violations.
According to an HHS spokesperson, the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) launched an investigation into the Maine Department of Education (MDOE) last month based on information that Maine intends to defy President Donald Trump’s order. Just four days later, the agency issued a “Notice of Violation” to MDOE. Andrew Nixon, a spokesperson for the department, emphasized the importance of upholding fairness, safety, dignity, and biological truth in women’s and girls’ athletic opportunities, stating that “Men have no place in women’s sports. Maine must comply with Title IX or risk losing federal funding.”
The Republican state legislators in Maine have urged Democratic Gov. Janet Mills to reconsider her stance on transgender sports participation, as it could potentially result in the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding for K-12 schools in the state. Assistant House Minority Leader Katrina Smith and state Rep. Laurel Libby have spoken out against the policy of allowing biological males to compete in girls’ sports, highlighting the physical and mental harm it may cause to young athletes.
The debate over transgender sports participation in Maine escalated when Libby was censured by Democrats in the state legislature for posting on social media about a Greely High School pole vaulter, who competed as a biological male and later won a statewide championship as a female. This incident has raised concerns among female athletes, like Zoe, who participated in shot put at Maine’s state indoor championship meet, about the fairness of competition.
President Trump has been vocal about Maine’s defiance of his executive order, warning that the state’s funding could be at risk unless they comply. Civil rights attorney Sarah Perry believes that Maine’s reliance on state law, which conflicts with federal regulations, may not hold up in court. Additionally, the Maine Principals Association and Gov. Mills have argued that Trump’s order conflicts with existing state Human Rights law, leading to a standoff between federal and state authorities.
Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey confirmed that MDOE was in violation of federal Title IX law for allowing athletic eligibility to be determined by gender identity. Mills has criticized the federal government’s attempt to withhold funding as coercion and a violation of the Constitution and laws. Despite the ongoing investigation, the Maine Principals Association and Greely High School have not responded to requests for comment on the matter.
As the investigation continues, the conflict between federal and state authorities over transgender sports participation in Maine remains unresolved. The outcome of this dispute will likely have significant implications for the future of women’s and girls’ athletics in the state.
