Latest news with #MainePrincipals'Association
USA Today
20-05-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Supreme Court sides with a lawmaker who made a controversial Facebook post about a trans athlete
Supreme Court sides with a lawmaker who made a controversial Facebook post about a trans athlete The decision is the latest chapter in a dispute that drew the attention of the Trump administration, which has sued Maine for refusing to ban transgender athletes from participating in women's sports. Show Caption Hide Caption Trump's ban on transgender troops goes into effect President Trump's ban on transgender troops serving in the military is going into effect while court challenges continue. WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court on May 20 sided with a lawmaker from Maine who was barred from voting until she apologized for a controversial Facebook post about a transgender athlete. Maine state Rep. Laurel Libby in February made a post criticizing the fact that a transgender high school athlete was allowed to compete in – and win − a pole vaulting competition. Libby's posts on Facebook and X went viral, putting Maine's policy in the spotlight and, according to a majority of her colleagues, endangering the athlete. They barred her from voting until she apologizes. The Supreme Court said she can vote while she challenges her punishment as unconstitutional. Libby argues that her First Amendment right to free speech is being violated and her constituents are being disenfranchised. Two of the court's three liberal justices − Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson − dissented. Jackson said the court has watered down its standard for granting emergency relief, which she called an "unfortunate development." The majority, she wrote, has opted to 'dole out error correction as it sees fit, regardless of the lack of any exigency, and even when the applicants' claims raise significant legal issues that warrant thorough evaluation by the lower courts that are dutifully considering them.' The majority gave no explanation for its decision, as is common in responses to emergency requests. Their decision is the latest chapter in a dispute that drew the attention of the Trump administration, which has sued Maine for refusing to ban transgender athletes from participating in women's and girls' sports. Plaintiff in Supreme Court case appears with Pam Bondi at a press conference Libby appeared at Attorney General Pam Bondi's April news conference announcing the lawsuit. Her February social media posts criticized the Maine Principals' Association for allowing the transgender athlete to compete in the girls' division a year after competing as a male. The posts identified the student's high school, named the student, and drew a yellow circle around photos of the athlete. School increases security after Facebook post draws attention The national attention the post generated prompted the school to increase security. Maine House Speaker Ryan Fecteau asked Libby to remove the post, citing concerns for the student's health and safety. After Libby refused, the House voted 75-70 to censure her for violating lawmakers' ethics code. The approved resolution says it's a 'basic tenet of politics and good moral character that children should not be targeted by adult politicians, especially when that targeting could result in serious harm.' Supreme Court allows Bondi ally to resume voting in Maine Libby was barred from voting or participating in floor debates during the remainder of the legislative term unless she apologizes or the House votes to lift the sanction, which lawmakers have declined to do at least twice. The Supreme Court's decision today allows her to resume voting. Libby and six of her constituents sued the legislature after the punishment was issued. A federal district judge in Maine rejected Libby's request that her punishment be suspended. U.S. District Judge Melissa DuBose said the Supreme Court has long considered legislators immune from being sued for their legislative acts. This case doesn't meet the exceptions to that general rule, she said. 'The censure and its sanction on Representative Libby is, at bottom, an internal Maine House affair,' DuBose wrote. That's wrong, Libby's attorneys told the Supreme Court, because it would mean that U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson could insist all members declare 'Trump is Making America Great Again' as a condition of voting. 'The Constitution's promise of equal representation is not conditioned on whether the majority party approves of a legislator's speech,' her attorneys wrote in a filing.
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Maine banned transgender discrimination 20 years ago. Few noticed -- until now.
Apr. 20—Maine first adopted protections for transgender individuals 20 years ago, helping earn the state a reputation as a leader in passing antidiscrimination laws. And trans students in Maine have been allowed to play high school sports consistent with their gender identities for more than a decade. But now, after evolving over the years without much controversy, those laws and policies are suddenly at the center of a national debate over transgender athletes and a lawsuit by the Trump administration that could cost the state millions of dollars in federal funding. So, how did we get here? Critics argue that transgender rights were pushed too far and too fast in recent years, inviting a backlash. Others say gender politics became the chosen wedge issue of the moment for social conservatives, who lost their battle against same-sex marriage a decade ago. Conservatives in Maine and across the country first targeted LGBTQ-themed books in school libraries, age-appropriate gender-affirming care and counseling, and access to bathrooms. But it is participation in sports that has become the most potent and divisive front in the new culture war, one that has divided Democrats. "It was basically a case where the far right was throwing anti-trans attacks at the wall and seeing what stuck," said Logan Casey, the director of policy research for the Movement Advancement Project, an independent nonprofit think tank that tracks equal rights laws. "Sports bans was one of the ones that really stuck and have now set the groundwork for all of these broader anti-trans attacks in other settings that we're seeing today." MAINE IS A LEADER, BUT NOT AN OUTLIER The Movement Advancement Project ranks Maine's laws as the fifth strongest in the country in prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity in public accommodations and the sixth to prohibit discrimination in housing and employment. But Maine is one of 22 states that explicitly prohibits discrimination based on gender identity and one of 23 states that has laws or policies allowing transgender athletes to participate in sports consistent with their gender identities, according to MAP. In Maine, the policy for high school sports participation is set by the Maine Principals' Association, which cites the state's antidiscrimination law as the basis for allowing access. Twenty-five states have laws preventing transgender participation in sports consistent with their gender identities, while two others have policies for the same. Notably, New Hampshire is one of the states with a law restricting transgender athletes, despite having another state law, like Maine's, prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity. A temporary injunction is allowing two plaintiffs to play sports consistent with their gender identities while the courts consider a legal challenge, according to MAP. The prohibition against discrimination based on gender identity initially gained its foothold in Maine law in 2005. That year, the state became one of only a handful to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation. The law, which was sponsored by Democratic Gov. John Baldacci and survived a people's veto effort, included a definitions clause that also effectively outlawed discrimination based on gender identity. Maine became one of the first three states in the nation to legalize same-sex marriage in 2012. The U.S. Supreme Court made same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states three years later. In 2013, the Maine Principals' Association developed a process allowing transgender high school students to compete on sports teams that align with their gender identities. That process, which remained in place for more than a decade, consisted of filing an application for a waiver and participating in a hearing before a Gender Identity Equity Committee — a process that equal rights advocates said was unnecessarily invasive. Between 2013 and 2023, there were 57 hearings, and all the transgender students who asked for waivers got them. While the sports policy initially did not generate significant controversy, trans rights made news in Maine in 2014 amid an emerging national debate about bathroom access. The Maine Supreme Judicial Court ruled that a school district in Orono violated the rights of a transgender student, Nicole Maines, by prohibiting her from using the women's bathroom. The court cited Maine's Human Rights Act as the basis of its ruling. In 2016, North Carolina became the first state to pass a law requiring transgender individuals to use a restroom consistent with their sex assigned at birth. However, that policy caused swift and fierce backlash, generating widespread calls to boycott the state. That restriction was removed the following year. HUMAN RIGHTS ACT EVOLVES Maine lawmakers returned to the Human Rights Act in 2019 with a number of updates, including giving gender identity more prominence in the law. Gender identity was defined as "the gender-related identity, appearance, mannerisms or other gender-related characteristics of an individual, regardless of the individual's assigned sex at birth." Lawmakers argued about how the 2019 updates would change what constituted harassment and who could file claims. Gender identity was never mentioned in any floor debates, however, and the bill passed on partisan lines. That same year, lawmakers took up a separate bill to specifically include gender identity in the policy statement of the Human Rights Act, giving it even more prominence by explicitly listing trans citizens as a protected class. Two Republicans raised concerns about the bill during the floor debate in the Senate, including the potential that trans girls could play in girls sports and have an unfair advantage. "We must see the truth that God created us male and female and the fact that genetic males have an unfair advantage in competition with genetic females in women sports competition," said Sen. Stacey Guerin, R-Glenburn. "This equal opportunity requirement is fundamentally unfair to girls who participate in sports and can be further spread to other areas that affect women specifically," said Sen. Lisa Keim, R-Dixfield. "We must stand up for women. We cannot create laws that will force them to accept vulnerable situations where they can be mistreated." Democrats dismissed concerns that the bill represented a major expansion of rights, noting that discrimination based on gender identity had been prohibited by the Human Rights Act since 2005. Sen. Michael Carpenter, D-Houlton, said the change would have no impact on the Maine Principals' Association or high school sports. "As far as the athletic issue, there is nothing in this law that's new," Carpenter said. "There's nothing in this law that suggests that it will overturn the carefully crafted policy put together by the Maine Principals' Association with regard to single-sex sports. Their rules are there. They have been there for a number of years." Then-Sen. Shenna Bellows, D-Manchester, agreed at the time, noting that transgender protections had been in state law since 2005. She described the bill as mostly "an errors and omissions bill," except for adding stronger protections for pregnant women. "But the rest of the bill is simply to clean up and (include a) restatement of existing law that was upheld by the voters and has not been subject to undue litigation in the last 15 years," said Bellows, who is now Maine's secretary of state and a declared candidate for governor. The bill was carried over to the 2020 session, but it died in the House when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and disrupted legislative activity. CULTURAL SHIFTS Around that same time, several other states considered restricting transgender participation in sports. Casey, of the Movement Advancement Project, said Iowa was the first to move forward and enact a ban. Now, about two dozen states have trans athlete bans. It was also around this time that progressive activists ramped up their focus on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts — a movement sparked by the police killing of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, in Minnesota, which set off massive protests and national calls for racial reckoning. While systemic oppression of Black Americans was the clarion call, the movement also pressed for greater understanding and acceptance of other systemically marginalized groups, including people who are transgender. In 2021, the Maine bill to explicitly add gender identity to the policy statement of the Human Rights Act was reintroduced at the request of the Maine Human Rights Commission. The commission — a five-member, bipartisan panel appointed by the governor — routinely seeks updates to the act and is responsible for investigating alleged discrimination and issuing rulings in cases that cannot be settled. The 2021 update proposal specifically acknowledged that every student had a civil right to participate in "all extracurricular activities" regardless of gender identity, color, religion or other characteristics. But the bill was presented as a way to correct inconsistencies within the law, not to expand protections. "(This bill) attempts to update the balance of the MHRA's protections across areas of application so the Act is internally consistent, and more understandable and user-friendly for the public," Amy Sneirson, who was the commission's executive director at the time, said in written testimony. The bill sailed through committee hearings and both chambers of the Legislature, with little focus paid to gender identity. It passed the House without debate and without a roll call vote count, which is typically called for when deciding controversial issues. Although there was a roll call vote in the Senate, there was no floor debate on the bill before it was approved in a 22-13 party line vote, with Democrats in support and Republicans opposed. House Speaker Ryan Fecteau, D-Biddeford, presided over the lower chamber in 2021 but declined an interview request through a spokesperson and did not respond to written questions. Joel Stetkis, a Republican who served as assistant House minority leader, said he couldn't recall what sort of conversations, if any, his caucus had about that 2021 change. Current House Minority Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham, R-Winter Harbor, was a rank-and-file member in 2021. He said he didn't recall any major objections about the bill. But Faulkingham said transgender issues have since become more visible and more controversial. "I'd say the reason why is the accelerated speed (and) progression of this stuff changing. (It) has happened rapidly," Faulkingham said. "Even four years ago, we weren't at a point where the conversation is where it is now." Conservative political action groups were beginning to bring attention to the issues nationally. Once such group, American Principles Project, tried to interject transgender issues into Maine's 2022 gubernatorial race to help former Gov. Paul LePage in his bid to unseat Gov. Janet Mills. APP launched a text message campaign that directed people to a YouTube page that contained ads attacking Mills and Democrats over their LGBTQ policies. It had limited effect, if any, at the time. Democrats were energized by the loss of federal abortion rights, and Mills went on to win the election handily. In 2024, the Maine Principals' Association changed its sports participation rules to no longer require transgender students to go through a formal application and hearing process. The updated rule allows transgender athletes to declare with their local district if they want to join teams consistent with their gender identities, and local school administrations make the final decision on participation. The MPA no longer keeps track of which districts have trans athletes. Two southern Maine students have attracted the attention of conservative critics who have posted photos of them on social media, but officials say they don't know if there are other trans students competing in Maine, or how many. SUDDENLY CONSUMING Now, although dozens of trans students have participated in Maine high school sports over the past decade, the emotionally charged debate over trans rights and fairness in sports is suddenly consuming Maine politics and government and creating financial uncertainty in schools and nonprofits statewide. The Trump administration has sued the state and threatened to cut off and recoup millions of dollars in federal funding if the state does not ban their participation. Mills continues to push back against the threats and legal challenges, saying Maine is following state and federal laws and that Trump cannot simply change those laws through an executive order. One preliminary court decision this month backed up Mills' argument, but the legal battle is far from over. Meanwhile, lawmakers in Augusta are gearing up for hearings on a slate of bills to address the issue and potentially change the Maine Human Rights Act once again. Republicans are presenting a range of proposals, from passing laws that prohibit transgender girls from girls sports and locker rooms to removing gender identity from the Maine Human Rights Act. Some, including Faulkingham, argue the problem can be solved by changing the policy of the MPA. The problem isn't necessarily the Maine Human Rights Act, he said — it's the interpretation of the law by state officials and the MPA. "It's really their interpretation of gender identity that's the problem," he said. "If they hadn't created a problem with their interpretation of it, I don't think there would be any issue with it." MPA officials, who have cited the Human Rights Act as the basis for the policy, are not talking about it. "MPA will not be making further comments on this issue while the pending litigation makes its way through the court system," policy adviser Jaren Bornstein said in an email. Copy the Story Link We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others. We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion. You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. 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Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Timeline: Gender identity in Maine's Human Rights Act
Apr. 20—2005: Maine state lawmakers approve a bill sponsored by Democratic Gov. John Baldacci to prohibit discrimination under the Maine Human Rights Act based on sexual orientation. Gender identity is included within the definition: "Sexual orientation means a person's actual or perceived heterosexuality, bisexuality, homosexuality or gender identity or expression." Later that year, voters upheld the new antidiscrimination law by rejecting a people's veto attempt, 55% to 45%. 2013: The Maine Principals' Association adopts a policy allowing transgender athletes to participate in school sports consistent with their gender identities, establishing a waiver process that included a hearing before a Gender Identity Equity Committee. 2014: Citing the Maine Human Rights Act, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court rules that a school district in Orono discriminated against a transgender student by not allowing her to use a restroom consistent with her gender identity. 2016: North Carolina passes a bathroom ban, saying that people could only use bathrooms consistent with their sex assigned at birth. The bill sparked national outrage and boycotts. The restriction was repealed the following year. 2019: Maine lawmakers remove gender identity from the definition of sexual orientation and give it its own, distinct definition in the Maine Human Rights Act. "Gender identity means the gender-related identity, appearance, mannerisms or other gender-related characteristics of an individual, regardless of the individual's assigned sex at birth." 2021: Lawmakers change the Maine Human Rights Act to expressly prohibit discrimination based on gender identity in the policy statement of the law. 2024: The Maine Principals' Association changes its rules to no longer require transgender athletes to go through a waiver process, which advocates said was unnecessarily intrusive. The updated rule allows transgender athletes to declare with their local district that they want to participate, and local school administrations make the final decision on access. Copy the Story Link We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others. We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion. You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs. Show less
Fox News
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Maine Democrats trying to amend state constitution to codify allowing trans athletes in girls' sports
The Democrat majority in the Maine House of Representatives voted to pass a bill that would codify the Maine Human Rights Act (MHRA) in the state's constitution on Thursday. The MHRA has been the state's tent pole legislation in allowing trans athletes in girls' sports during an ongoing feud with President Donald Trump's administration over the issue. The law was amended four years ago to add gender identity as a protected class and specifically stated that denying a person an equal opportunity to participate in sports is discrimination against education. Last year, the Maine Principals' Association updated its policy to allow athletes to compete against the gender they identify as. The proposed bill to constitutionalize the MHRA passed with a slim simple majority in the House on Thursday but will need a two-thirds majority in both chambers before it can go before voters. Meanwhile, the Republican minority in the House is backing a proposal to remove the term "gender identity" from the MHRA. The vote came one day after the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the state for its ongoing defiance of Trump's "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" executive order. Maine has faced immense federal pressure in the last two months over its refusal to comply, including two federal investigations, a funding freeze by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and now an official lawsuit. But the Democrat leadership in the state, led by Governor Janet Mills, has remained steadfast in its commitment to defy Trump and ensure biologically male trans athletes can still participate in girls' sports and enter girls' locker rooms. The MHRA has been the central law those Democrats have leaned on to justify their defiant stance. Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey justified his state's noncompliance with Trump by citing the MHRA in an interview on CNN Wednesday. "Our position is that Title IX, consistent with the Maine Human Rights Act, so both federal and state law, supports that trans girls will be able to participate in high school sports consistent with their gender identity," Frey said. "So my contention is Maine is following Title IX, Maine is following the Maine Human Rights Act." Fox News Digital previously obtained statements from the Maine Principals' Association and the Maine School Administrative District 51, citing the MHRA for its refusal to comply with Trump's executive order. "The Maine Principals' Association is bound by the law, including the Maine Human Rights Act (MHRA), which our participation policy reflects," officials said. "We are unable to sign any resolution agreement that would mandate we create a new policy that would violate the law and MHRA." 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, also pointed to the Maine Human Rights Act for allowing the athlete to compete. "The MSAD #51 Board of Directors is guided by the Mission, Vision, and Core Values of our district. This includes promoting a safe, caring and ethical learning environment where each person will be treated with respect and fairness; and individuals are recognized, valued and supported," the district said in a statement. However, the majority of Maine residents disagree with allowing trans athletes to compete in girls' sports. 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 that it is "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. And while Maine's Democrat leadership refuses to comply with Trump's executive order, one school district is taking matters into its own hands and defying the state anyway. The MSAD #70 School Board voted unanimously on Monday night to comply with Title IX, "recognizing only two sexes - biological male and biological female and that all private spaces be separated by biological sex." MSAD #70 superintendent Tyler Putnam told Fox News Digital that, due to this vote, he is now directed to amend the district's policies to prevent trans athletes from competing in girls' sports. "Our board, similar to many people in Maine, have been following the back-and-forth communication between the federal government and the state. We are hoping for both sides to work together to help support local school districts like ourselves," Putnam said. "The board and our staff's No. 1 priority is to provide our students with an education that will positively impact their future in our great state and country." 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 school officials address refusal to ban trans athletes from girls' sports amid deadline for consequences
Friday is the official deadline for Maine to comply with President Donald Trump's "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" executive order or risk a second referral to the Department of Justice. The Maine Principal's Association (MPA) and the Maine Department of Education have already been referred to the Department of Justice (DOJ) by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and face a potential second referral by the U.S. Department of Education on Friday. The state has also seen a freeze in funding from the USDA for its continued non-compliance. The MPA and its president, Kim Liscomb, have come under local scrutiny in recent weeks for failing to amend its policies on trans athlete inclusion in public schools, as one resident, Nick Blanchard, has launched a petition to have Liscomb removed from her position as principal of Cony Middle and High School. The MPA released a statement addressing this scrutiny and the association's refusal to change its gender eligibility policy, suggesting it may change the policy if legislation is put in place. "For the last year Kim Liscomb, president of the Maine Principals' Association Board of Directors, has faithfully executed her duties leading our organization. Recently, there has been local attention focused on her, which could be related to the Maine Principals' Association's policy on sports participation. If Congress or the State Legislature changes the law, we will adapt our policy accordingly," read a copy of the statement obtained by Fox News Digital. "In her role as MPA president, Kim has shown leadership, compassion, and commitment to guiding the MPA with her extensive experience in education. When she finishes her one-year term as president this summer, she will be missed." The MPA previously addressed its first referral to the DOJ, citing the Maine Human Rights Act (MHRA), which was amended four years ago to add gender identity as a protected class, for its continued reluctance to ban trans athletes from girls' sports. "The Maine Principals' Association is bound by the law, including the Maine Human Rights Act (MHRA), which our participation policy reflects," officials said. "We are unable to sign any resolution agreement that would mandate we create a new policy that would violate the law and MHRA." The gender identity amendment to the MHRA stated that denying a person an equal opportunity to participate in sports is discrimination against education. The Maine Principals' Association updated its policy to allow athletes to compete against the gender they identify as last year. A University of New Hampshire poll released last week showed that most Maine residents agree that transgender athletes should not compete in girls' and women's sports. The poll showed that 64% of Maine residents believe transgender athletes "definitely should not" or "probably should not" participate in girls' and women's sports. Only 29% of Maine residents believed that transgender athletes "probably should" or "definitely should" compete against girls and women in sports. The poll also showed that 56% of Maine Democrats believe that transgender athletes should be allowed to compete in girls' and women's sports. When it came to enacting policies to combat the issue of transgender participation in sports, the poll showed that 50% of Maine residents wanted it at the federal level, while 41% believe policy should be left up to the states. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
