WASHINGTON D. C.: President Donald Trump's administration announced late last week that it would stop all federal education funding for Maine's public schools after state officials refused to ban transgender athletes from girls' sports teams.
The U.S. Department of Education made this announcement just before a federal judge issued a temporary order to stop the U.S. Department of Agriculture from ending federal school lunch funding over the same issue.
The Education Department said it would begin a process to cancel the state's federal K-12 education funding, which is about $250 million. It also said it was sending its investigation under Title IX, which protects against discrimination, to the U.S. Department of Justice for possible legal action.
The Trump administration has taken several steps against Maine ever since Democratic Governor Janet Mills disagreed with the president over the issue at a White House meeting in February. During that meeting on February 21, Trump threatened to cut off Maine's funds if it did not follow an executive order banning transgender athletes from playing in girls' and women's sports. Governor Mills responded by saying, "We're going to follow the law, sir. We'll see you in court."
Last month, the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights claimed that Maine's education officials were breaking federal anti-discrimination law by allowing transgender athletes to participate in girls' sports and use girls' facilities. Maine state officials have refused to follow Trump's demands. In 2021, Maine lawmakers changed a state law to clearly protect people from discrimination based on gender identity.
Sarah Forster, an assistant state attorney general, wrote in a letter to the Education Department that nothing in Title IX or its rules stops schools from letting transgender girls and women participate in girls' and women's sports.
Earlier in the week, Maine also filed a lawsuit to stop the USDA from cutting off funding for the state's nutrition programs. U.S. District Judge John Woodcock Jr issued a temporary order to block the USDA from stopping the grant money.
