The Department of Education launched an investigation into Maine’s compliance with Title IX laws just hours after the governor sparred with President Donald Trump over men playing in women’s sports.
Democrat Maine Governor Janet Mills clashed with the president at a meeting of the National Governors Association (NGA) on Friday.
The fight was over Trump’s landmark executive order signed on February 5, which ensured that biological men could not compete in women’s sports. States that allow it will be subject to losing federal funding from the Department of Education.
Mills released a statement on Friday vowing not to follow the order and asserting, “The State of Maine will not be intimidated by the President’s threats.”
“If the president attempts to unilaterally deprive Maine school children of the benefit of federal funding, my administration and the attorney general will take all appropriate and necessary legal action to restore that funding and the academic opportunity it provides,” Mills added.
Trump called the governor out for her remarks during the meeting.
“Is the governor of Maine here?” Trump asked.
After confirming she was present, Trump asked Mills if she intended to defy his executive order.
“I am complying with state and federal laws,” Mills replied.
“Well, we are the federal law,” Trump replied. “You better do it. “You better do it because you’re not going to get any federal funding at all if you don’t.”
“By the way…your (state’s) population doesn’t want men playing in women’s sports. So you better comply because otherwise, you’re not getting any federal funding,” he added.
Mills, attempting to act tough, responded that she will see him in court.
“Good. That should be a real easy (case) one,” he stated. “And enjoy your life after governor because I don’t think you’ll be in elected politics.”
President Trump calls Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) out to her face over her refusal to comply with the executive order keeping men out of women’s sports:
“You better do it — because you’re not going to get any federal funding at all if you don’t.” pic.twitter.com/uMUZsy1j6t
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 21, 2025
Hours after the exchange, the DOE announced the investigation.
“Today the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) sent a letter to the Maine Department of Education Commissioner Pender Makin announcing that OCR is initiating a directed investigation of the Maine Department of Education (MDOE) amid allegations that it continues to allow male athletes to compete in girls’ interscholastic athletics and that it has denied female athletes female-only intimate facilities, thereby violating federal antidiscrimination law,” the DOE said in a press release.
“The letter also notifies MDOE that OCR is launching an investigation into Maine School Administrative District #51 (MSAD #51), after it was reported that Greely High School, a school under its jurisdiction, is continuing to allow at least one male student to compete in girls’ categories.”
Office for Civil Rights Launches Title IX Violation Investigations into Maine Department of Education and Maine School Districthttps://t.co/ZYidySsmU2 pic.twitter.com/cvhdAOh55P
— U.S. Department of Education (@usedgov) February 21, 2025
Acting assistant secretary for civil rights Craig Trainor added:
“Maine would have you believe that it has no choice in how it treats women and girls in athletics – that is, that it must follow its state laws and allow male athletes to compete against women and girls. Let me be clear: If Maine wants to continue to receive federal funds from the Education Department, it has to follow Title IX. If it wants to forgo federal funds and continue to trample the rights of its young female athletes, that, too, is its choice. OCR will do everything in its power to ensure taxpayers are not funding blatant civil rights violators.”
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