Latest news with #MDOE
Fox News
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Federal judge rules Trump administration must 'unfreeze' funds to Maine as trans battle lingers
A federal judge said the Trump administration must lift their freeze on federal funding to Maine. The ruling reads that the USDA "must immediately unfreeze and release to the state of Maine any federal funding that they have frozen or failed or refused to pay because of the state of Maine's alleged failure to comply with the requirements of Title IX." The administration is also "barred from freezing, terminating, or otherwise interfering with the state of Maine's future federal funding for alleged violations of Title IX without complying with the legally required procedure." The USDA announced the funding freeze and a review of federal funding to Maine earlier this month after the state refused to provide equal opportunities to women and girls in educational programs. The state has refused to comply with President Donald Trump's February executive order to ban trans athletes from girls' and women's sports, prompting immense federal pressure. Trump initially vowed to cut federal funding to the state if it refused to comply with the order during a Feb. 20 speech. Maine officials filed a lawsuit against the USDA on Monday following the agency's decision to freeze funding to the state. The state accused the USDA of "withholding funding used to feed children in schools, childcare centers, and after-school programming as well as disabled adults in congregate settings," an argument the judge agreed with. The judge noted that the freeze was due to Title IX violations, but it "restricted" the ability to "provid[e] meals to children and vulnerable adults." Sen. Susan Collins, R-ME, recently called for the issues between the administration and her state to be "resolved," saying that she would continue to fight for federal funding for the state while also being against transgender athletes in biological female sports. The Department of Education also launched an investigation into the state due to the issue. The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) referred the Maine Department of Education (MDOE) to the Department of Justice Friday for continuning to allow trans athletes to compete in girls sports. It's the second DOJ referral the state's educational institutions have faced in the last month over the issue, after the Department of Health and Human Services referred MDOE, the Maine Principals' Association and Greely High School March 28. After Trump signed an executive order to ban trans athletes from women's and girls' sports Feb. 5, Maine was one of the many states that openly defied the order. The state's divide on trans inclusion was then brought to light when Maine state Rep. Laurel Libby identified a trans athlete in a social media post who won a girls pole vault competition for Greely High School that month. Libby was censured by Maine's Democratic majority and Speaker Ryan Fecteau for the post, which has prevented her from carrying out other legislative actions to serve her constituents. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Fox News
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Sen Collins wants Trump-Maine conflict to be 'resolved' as trans athlete battle continues
The battle between the Trump administration and the state of Maine is approaching two months amid the Pine Tree State continuing to allow transgender athletes to compete against biological females. Maine officials on Monday filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in response to the agency's decision to freeze funding to the state for its refusal to reverse its transgender athlete participation policy in schools. The state has been under federal pressure in recent months to protect female athletes from trans inclusion after several controversial incidents involving trans athletes and an ongoing feud between President Donald Trump and Maine Gov. Janet Mills. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, though, understands both sides of the coin, and wants it all to end. "The conflict between how the State of Maine and the Administration interpret Title IX needs to be resolved," Collins began in an X post on Friday. "I agree with the federal government's position that biological males should not compete in girls and women's athletics. Policies to the contrary violate the original intent behind Title IX. "People who are transgender deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. But that does not change the fact that Title IX mandated equal access to athletic resources and facilities on the basis of sex – not on the basis of gender identity. Safe and fair athletic competition has been one of the keys to the success of Title IX. While I will continue to advocate strongly for federal funding for Maine, I disagree with the state's position and instead support the original intent behind Title IX." The Department of Education has also launched an investigation into the state due to the issue. The Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) referred the Maine Department of Education (MDOE) to the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday for continuing to allow trans athletes to compete in girls' sports. It's the second DOJ referral the state's educational institutions have faced in the past month over the issue, after the Department of Health and Human Services referred MDOE, the Maine Principals' Association and Greely High School on March 28. After Trump signed an executive order to ban trans athletes from women's and girls' sports on Feb. 5, Maine was one of the many states that openly defied the order. The state's divide on trans inclusion was then brought to light when Maine state Rep. Laurel Libby identified a trans athlete in a social media post who won a girls' pole vault competition for Greely High School that month. Libby was subsequently censured by the state legislature. Libby filed a lawsuit last month, which seeks to have her voting and speaking rights restored. She was originally told she would have her rights restored if she apologized for the post. Libby has said she will not apologize, but has said she is willing to drop the suit if her censure is dropped. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Fox News
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Maine gets second referral to DOJ for refusing to ban trans athletes from women's sports
FIRST ON FOX: The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights (OCR) referred the Maine Department of Education (MDOE) to the Department of Justice Friday, as the state continues to allow trans athletes to compete in girls' sports. It is the second DOJ referral the state's educational institutions have faced in the last month over the issue, after the Department of Health and Human Services referred MDOE, the Maine Principal's Association and Greely High School on March 28. Now, the OCR informed Maine Assistant Attorney General Sarah Forster of a second DOJ referral in a letter on Friday. The letter, obtained by Fox News Digital, states that earlier on Friday the Maine Attorney General's office formally notified OCR that it would not sign a resolution agreement to amend the state's gender eligibility policies to comply with Title IX, so the DOJ referral must be made. "Accordingly, OCR has determined compliance cannot be secured by informal or voluntary means," the letter read. "OCR now refers this matter to the Department of Justice with a recommendation for appropriate proceedings, to enforce all legally available remedies." OCR also says it is initiating proceedings to have further funding to the state suspended or frozen. "This letter also serves as notice to MDOE that OCR is initiating administrative proceedings to suspend, terminate, defer final approval, and/or refuse to grant or continue Federal financial assistance to MDOE," the letter read. Last Tuesday, the USDA announced a funding freeze to the state over the issue. Maine officials then filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Monday following the agency's decision to freeze funding to the state for its refusal to reverse its transgender athlete participation policy in schools. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Maine Attorney General's office for comment on Friday's referral. The state has been under immense federal pressure in recent months to protect female athletes from trans inclusion amid several controversial incidents involving trans athletes and an ongoing feud between President Donald Trump and Maine Governor Janet Mills. After Trump signed an executive order to ban trans athletes from women's and girls' sports on Feb. 5, Maine was one of the many state that openly defied the order. The state's divide on trans inclusion was then brought to light when Maine state representative Laurel Libby made a social media post that identified a trans athlete that won a girls' pole vault competition for Greely High School that month. The post prompted national awareness, including from Trump himself, who vowed to cut off funding the state if it continued allowing males in girls' sports during a meeting of GOP governors on Feb. 20. The very next day, Mills' office released a statement threatening legal action against Trump engaged in a verbal spat with Mills over the issue at a bipartisan meeting of Governors later that day. Just hours after that, the U.S. Department of Education announced its initial investigation into the state for potential Title IX violations. Meanwhile, Libby was censured for her social media post on the premise that she identified a minor by name and photo. However, Libby has since filed a lawsuit to have the censure overturned, arguing the trans athlete had already been identified by other media prior to her post. The lawsuit has gone to trial in a Rhode Island district court. In addition to the incident involving the pole vaulter at Greely High School, other instances have impacted multiple girls across the state who have had to compete with and share locker rooms with biological males. Maine teen Cassidy Carlisle previously told Fox News Digital about how she had to share a locker room with a trans student while in middle school, then had to compete with another trans athlete in Nordic skiing last year. "The defeat that comes with that in that moment is heartbreaking," Carlisle said. "I'm just in shock in a way. I didn't believe it. … I didn't think it was happening to me." A survey by the American Parents Coalition found that out of about 600 registered Maine voters, 63% said school sports participation should be based on biological sex, and 66% agreed it's "only fair to restrict women's sports to biological women." The poll also found that 60% of residents would support a ballot measure limiting participation in women's and girls sports to biological females. This included 64% of independents and 66% of parents with kids under age 18. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Boston Globe
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Trump administration to refer Maine to Justice Department over transgender participation in sports
Advertisement Maine education officials have declined to comment on the investigation. Trump has said the state risks losing federal funding if it does not come into compliance. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'The Maine Department of Education's indifference to its past, current, and future female athletes is astonishing. By refusing to comply with Title IX, MDOE allows — indeed, encourages — male competitors to threaten the safety of female athletes, wrongfully obtain girls' hard-earned accolades, and deny females equal opportunity in educational activities to which they are guaranteed under Title IX,' said Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights. Federal funding is critical to Maine schools. Maine got $358 million in federal funding for K-12 schools in 2021-22, or 10% of its budget, according to data from the Census. About 13% of that money went to Title I, 14% to special education and 20% to child nutrition programs such as school lunches. Advertisement Almost half of federal funds were simply marked as 'other,' which likely points to the substantial COVID relief funds schools got that year. Prior to the pandemic, Maine got 6% of its funding from federal sources, almost $185 million in 2018-19. The issue of school funding and transgender participation in sports in Maine began to bubble up when Mills and Trump sparred over the subject during the February meeting at the White House. During the meeting, Trump threatened to pull federal funding from Maine if the state did not comply with his executive order barring transgender athletes from sports. Mills responded: 'We'll see you in court.' Soon after, the Education Department and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services launched investigations into the state. Health and Human Services officials said in March that the Maine Department of Education, Maine Principals' Association and a high school are each in violation of Title IX because of the participation of transgender athletes. The Health Department has already referred the issue to the Justice Department for enforcement in court. The principals' association and school district both said they would not comply with a proposed agreement to ban the athletes. The Maine education department declined to comment. Maine Republicans, who are in the minority in both houses of the Legislature, have put pressure on state Democrats to resolve the investigations. House Republican Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham, speaking during a news conference, said Mills has created a 'hostage situation' that jeopardizes federal funding. 'The governor, and her administration, is holding Maine schools and Maine education under hostage,' Faulkingham said. 'This standoff is not going to end well for the state of Maine and its education funding.' Advertisement LGBTQ+ rights groups in Maine have defended the state's approach. 'We're not giving in, and we're not giving up on our trans community,' EqualityMaine said in a social media post. Federal authorities have also said they are investigating Maine due to claims school districts in the state violate federal law by withholding information about students' gender transitioning from parents. Associated Press writer Sharon Lurye in New Orleans contributed to this report.
Fox News
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Federal agency gives Maine final warning to ban trans athletes from girls' sports
The U.S. Department of Education has given Maine a final warning to comply with President Donald Trump's executive order to ban trans athletes from girls' sports. The DOE sent a letter to the Maine Department of Education (MDOE) on Monday advising a final deadline of April 11 to address the issue or risk a second referral to the Department of Justice. The Department of Health and Human Services already referred Maine to the DOJ last week. "The Maine Department of Education's indifference to its past, current, and future female athletes is astonishing. By refusing to comply with Title IX, MDOE allows—indeed, encourages—male competitors to threaten the safety of female athletes, wrongfully obtain girls' hard-earned accolades, and deny females equal opportunity in educational activities to which they are guaranteed under Title IX," the letter read. "Under prior administrations, enforcement was an illusory proposition. No more. The Trump-McMahon Education Department is moving quickly to ensure that federal funds no longer support patently illegal practices that harm women and girls." Fox News Digital has reached out to MDOE for comment. HHS's Office for Civil Rights announced Friday that it had referred Maine's "noncompliance" with Title IX rules to the DOJ for enforcement, including the MDOE, Maine Principal's Association and Greely High School, where a trans athlete who won a girls' pole vault competition attends. 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." The Maine Principals' Association said in a statement it is also "bound by the law, including the Maine Human Rights Act, which our participation policy reflects." Maine has become a national battleground over the issue shortly after the state indicated in early February that it would not follow Trump's executive order. The situation involving the trans athlete at Greely High School attracted national attention after Maine Republican state Rep. Laurel Libby identified the athlete by name with a photograph in a social media post. Libby was later censured by the Maine legislature, and she has since filed a lawsuit to have it overturned. The issue with Maine came to a head at a meeting of the National Governors Association on Feb. 20, when Trump threatened to cut federal funding to the state for not banning biological males from girls' and women's sports. The next day, Mills' office responded with a statement threatening legal action against the Trump administration if it withheld 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. Since then, multiple protests against Mills have been held outside the state Capitol, and the Maine University System has cooperated with the Trump administration to ensure no trans athletes compete in women's sports after a temporary funding pause. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
