Latest news with #MSAD51
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
USDA ordered to unfreeze federal funding to Maine
Supporters march and wave signs after a rally in Cumberland, Maine on Sunday, March 23, 2025, calling on Maine lawmakers, and local MSAD51 school officials, to support transgender student athletes. (Photo by Troy R. Bennett/ Maine Morning Star) A federal court has ordered the U.S. Department of Agriculture to restore funding to Maine, granting the state's request for a temporary restraining order. The ruling marks Maine's first legal victory against federal sanctions imposed over its policies on transgender athletes — policies the Trump administration argues violate Title IX, the federal law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in education. At issue is Maine's decision to allow transgender athletes to participate in girls' sports, which the federal government claims is unlawful under its interpretation of Title IX. After the USDA froze the funds earlier this month, Attorney General Aaron Frey on Monday filed a complaint in U.S. District Court seeking to reinstate access to the money this Monday. Four days later, Justicedge John Woodcock Jr. granted the emergency request, finding that Maine had shown it would suffer 'irreparable harm' and that the USDA had failed to follow legally required procedures before halting the funding. In a statement after the ruling, Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey said the order 'confirms the Trump Administration did not follow the rule of law when it cut program funds that go to feed school children and vulnerable adults.' 'No one in our constitutional republic is above the law and we will continue to fight to hold this administration to account,' Frey said. Unlike other federal agencies that opened civil rights investigations into Maine's policies, the USDA acted without launching a formal probe. On April 2, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins notified Governor Janet Mills that the department was freezing certain federal funds used for school administrative and technological functions. The move was based solely on the department's view that Maine was out of compliance with Title IX, according to Rollins' letter. The U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services had separately found Maine in violation of federal law after short investigations. But the state has pushed back, insisting that its trans-inclusive policies are consistent with both Title IX and legal precedent. In a letter sent earlier today to Bradley Burke, regional director of the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights, Assistant Attorney General Sarah Forster cited court rulings affirming the rights of transgender athletes. 'Nothing in Title IX or its implementing regulations prohibits schools from allowing transgender girls and women to participate on girls' and women's sports teams,' she wrote. 'Your letters to date do not cite a single case that so holds.' Judge Woodcock's ruling does not address the substance of the transgender athlete policy itself. Instead, it but focuses solely on the federal government's failure to follow due process. 'In ruling on the State's request, the Court is not weighing in on the merits of the controversy about transgender athletes that forms the backdrop of the impasse between the State and the Federal Defendants,' Woodcock wrote. 'The Federal Defendants froze the appropriated funds without observance of procedure required by law.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Title IX case against Maine schools headed to US Department of Justice
Alice Frost, who identifies as transgender, speaks to a reporter after a rally in Cumberland, Maine, on March 23, 2025, calling on Maine lawmakers and local MSAD51 school officials to support transgender student athletes. (Troy R. Bennett/Maine Morning Star) This story first appeared on the Maine Morning Star. The conflict between the state of Maine and the Trump administration over transgender student athletes reached a new pivot point on Monday. As the first of several deadlines set by the federal government has now expired, whether Maine can continue to allow trans athletes to participate in sports appears likely to be decided by the courts. Two separate federal agencies determined that Maine is in violation of Title IX based on the Trump administration's interpretation of the anti-sex discrimination protection. The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights issued a final warning Monday to the Maine Department of Education regarding its noncompliance with a federal directive for allowing trans girls to participate in girls sports. If the state does not propose an agreement that's acceptable to the office by April 11, the case will be referred to the Department of Justice, the letter said. Meanwhile, a separate investigation by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' civil rights office that found Maine in violation of Title IX for 'continuing to unlawfully allow' trans girls to compete in girls sports has been referred to the U.S. Department of Justice, according to a Monday social media post from the agency. In a letter dated March 17, HHS had given Maine a deadline of 10 days to comply with federal guidance. Monday marked 10 business days from that warning. Federal judge vacates Biden Title IX rule, scrapping protections for LGBTQ+ students nationwide Both agencies determined that Maine had violated federal law after dayslong investigations that included no interviews, while typical investigations take months and are eventually settled with resolution agreements. The probes were launched after Maine Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat, and President Donald Trump had a heated exchange over the state's trans athlete policy. Millions of dollars in federal funding might be at risk, depending on how the cases proceed. 'We just need an answer at this point as to, 'Does the Trump administration have the authority to do what it's doing when it comes to fast-tracking the removal of federal funds?'' said Jackie Wernz, a former OCR lawyer for the Education Department who now represents school districts nationwide in these types of cases. 'This is just unprecedented, and we're not following the process that we're used to. So I think it's going to be really helpful for courts to start weighing in on whether or not they have the authority to do this.' On March 19, the Department of Education's civil rights office notified Maine of its noncompliance and proposed a resolution agreement that would require the state to rescind its support for trans athletes, which is currently required by the Maine Human Rights Act. A Cumberland-area school district and the Maine Principals Association, which runs student athletics, that were also found in violation have already refused to sign the agreement. This development is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to enforce Title IX provisions concerning gender and athletics. Earlier this year, the administration launched investigations in several other states for similar policies allowing trans athletes to compete in alignment with their gender identity. Title IX, the federal law banning sex-based discrimination, does not reference trans people directly, but the Trump administration has interpreted Maine's policy as discrimination against cisgender girls. Rachel Perera, a fellow in the governance studies program for the Brown Center on Education Policy at national think tank the Brookings Institution, said the Trump administration's interpretation of Title IX leaves room for questioning. If the policy goes to trial, she said federal courts may come up with a clearer interpretation. 'It's going to be really important to see how Maine proceeds, because they're sort of setting the tone in terms of these other states and other localities who are going to be trying to navigate these very same dynamics,' she said. Maine Morning Star is part of States Newsroom, a national nonprofit news organization. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Title IX case against Maine schools headed to U.S. Department of Justice
Alice Frost, who identifies as transgender, speaks to a reporter after a rally in Cumberland, Maine on Sunday, March 23, 2025, calling on Maine lawmakers, and local MSAD51 school officials, to support transgender student athletes. (Photo by Troy R. Bennett/ Maine Morning Star) This story will be updated. The conflict between the state of Maine and the Trump administration over transgender student athletes reached a new pivot point on Monday. As the first of several deadlines set by the federal government has now expired, whether Maine can continue to allow trans athletes to participate in sports appears likely to be decided by the courts. Two separate federal agencies determined that Maine is in violation of Title IX based on the Trump administration's interpretation of the anti-sex discrimination protection. The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights issued a final warning Monday to the Maine Department of Education regarding its noncompliance with a federal directive for allowing trans girls to participate in girls' sports. If the state does not propose an agreement that's acceptable to the office by April 11, the case will be referred to the Department of Justice, the letter said. Meanwhile, a separate investigation by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' civil rights office that found Maine in violation of Title IX for 'continuing to unlawfully allow males to compete against females' has been referred to the U.S. Department of Justice, according to a Monday social media post from the agency. In a letter dated March 17, HHS had given Maine a deadline of 10 days to comply with federal guidance. Monday marked ten business days from that warning. Both agencies determined that Maine had violated federal law after dayslong investigations that included no interviews, while typical OCR investigations take months and are eventually settled with resolution agreements. The probes were launched after Gov. Janet Mills and President Donald Trump had a heated exchange over the state's trans athlete policy. Millions of dollars in federal funding that the state receives might be at risk, depending on how the cases proceed. 'We just need an answer at this point as to, 'Does the Trump administration have the authority to do what it's doing when it comes to fast tracking the removal of federal funds?'' said Jackie Wernz, a former OCR lawyer for the Education Department who now represents school districts nationwide in these types of cases. 'This is just unprecedented, and we're not following the process that we're used to. So I think it's going to be really helpful for courts to start weighing in on whether or not they have the authority to do this.' On March 19, the Department of Education's civil rights office notified Maine of its noncompliance and proposed a resolution agreement that would require the state to rescind its support of trans athletes, which is currently required by the Maine Human Rights Act. A Cumberland-area school district and the Maine Principals Association, which runs student athletics, that were also found in violation have already refused to sign the agreement. This development is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to enforce Title IX provisions concerning gender and athletics. Earlier this year, the administration launched investigations in several other states for similar policies allowing trans athletes to compete in alignment with their gender identity. Title IX, the federal law banning sex-based discrimination, does not reference trans people directly, but the Trump administration has interpreted Maine's policy as discrimination against cisgender girls. Rachel Perera, a fellow in the governance studies program for the Brown Center on Education Policy at national think tank The Brookings Institution, said the Trump administration's interpretation of Title IX leaves room for questioning. If the policy goes to trial, she said federal courts may come up with a clearer interpretation. 'It's going to be really important to see how Maine proceeds, because they're sort of setting the tone in terms of these other states and other localities who are going to be trying to navigate these very same dynamics,' she said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Another federal probe targets Maine school gender policies, citing parental rights
Supporters yell and wave signs at rally in Cumberland, Maine on Sunday, March 23, 2025, calling on Maine lawmakers, and local MSAD51 school officials, to support transgender student athletes. (Photo by Troy R. Bennett/ Maine Morning Star) District policies that protect students' privacy when it comes to gender identity might be violating federal law by depriving parents of information, according to the U.S. Department of Education. In another directed investigation launched by the department based on reports from right-wing media about Maine districts complying with the Maine Human Rights Act, the department alleged that by developing plans to affirm students' gender, districts may be in violation of the Family Educational Rights Privacy Act (FERPA). Maine's support of transgender athletes already faced a federal investigation through the department's Office for Civil Rights, with the state being found in violation of Title IX for allowing trans girls to participate in sports aligning with their gender identity. Whether Maine decides to sue or comply with the resolution agreement proposed by OCR remains to be seen, with the Maine Attorney General's office declining to comment. School officials from MSAD 51 and the Maine Principals Association, which were also under investigation, have already said they will not sign the agreement. The FERPA investigation is another example of President Donald Trump's administration targeting Maine for protecting students' access to affirming school environments through the Maine Human Rights Act. In a letter to the Maine Department of Education, Frank Miller, acting director for the Student Privacy Policy Office, highlighted a 2016 memo by the Maine Human Rights Commission that explains the interpretation of the Act: 'In the event that the student and their parent/legal guardian do not agree with regard to the student's sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, the educational institution should, whenever possible, abide by the wishes of the student with regard to their gender identity and expression while at school,' the memo states. 'The overall memorandum on its face appears to give school officials discretion that would infringe on the rights of a parent under FERPA,' Miller said in his letter. He also alleged that 'this same rhetoric may lead to Title IX violations if applied in a school environment,' which may warrant the investigation to be referred to the OCR. Miller's letter also highlights that because school counselors or school social workers are not required by Maine law to divulge information gathered during counseling, it may keep parents from 'exercising their right to inspect and review education records relating to their child's counseling with a school counselor or school social worker.' Parents Defending Education, a far-right 'parental rights' group, has been scrutinizing school districts and filing federal civil rights complaints nationwide against school districts — including Portland in 2023 — for several years for their policies protecting students' rights. The USDOE investigation cites the goal of Parents Defending Education President Nicole Neily 'to hold school districts accountable and ensure no child is socially transitioned behind parent's backs by teachers or administrators.' The fight between parental rights and students' privacy rights when it comes to gender identity at school has played out in courts for the past few years, prompted by lawsuits filed in at least six states by parents rights groups. Legal experts working with the school districts have argued that districts are trying to support students by having these policies in place, and are required to protect students' privacy rights over parents' rights to information about their children. In Maine, one such lawsuit stemmed from parent Amber Lavigne suing her child's school district for using affirming pronouns and a school counselor giving her child a chest binder. That lawsuit was dismissed, with Judge John Levy of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine saying that while it is understandable that a parent might want to stay informed, the district and staff did not violate Lavigne's rights as they were following the district's transgender students guidelines. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
