Maine vs. Trump: School officials defy ultimatum to protect girls sports

Officials at a school district in Maine announced Thursday that the district will not comply with a proposed agreement with President Donald Trump’s administration that would bar transgender athletes from participating in girls sports.

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 it is not complying and will instead “continue to follow state law and the Maine Human Rights Act.”

“To our students: Thank you for your maturity, perseverance and dedication to learning through these distractions. Please continue to lead the way,” the district said in a statement.

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.” 

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The institutions have opted to defy Trump’s order despite recent data suggesting the majority of Maine residents oppose transgender athletes 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 it’s “only fair to restrict women’s sports to biological women.”

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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.

The situation involving a 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 in February.

Police protection was later assigned to the school over safety concerns. 

The Maine legislature then censured Libby for the post, and she has since filed a lawsuit seeking to have the censure overturned. 

A feud between Trump and Maine Gov. Janet Mills began Feb. 20 during a GOP meeting of governors, when Trump threatened to cut federal funding to the state for not banning trans athletes from girls and women’s sports. 

The next day, Mills’ office responded with a statement threatening legal action against the Trump administration if it did withhold 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.

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“Are you not going to comply with that?” Trump asked Mills.

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. 

Last week, the U.S. Health and Human Services’ Office of Civil Rights (OCR) announced it found the Maine Department of Education, the Maine Principals’ Association and Greely High School in violation of Title IX for continuing to enable trans inclusion in girls sports. 

The announcement warned that the state had 10 days to correct its policies through a signed agreement or risk referral to the U.S. Department of Justice for appropriate action. That deadline passed Thursday. 

OCR acting Director Anthony Archeval previously provided a statement to Fox News Digital warning of potential consequences for continued defiance of the executive order. 

“What HHS is asking of the Maine Department of Education, the Maine Principals’ Association (MPA) and Greely High School is simple — protect female athletes’ rights. Girls deserve girls-only sports without male competitors. And if Maine won’t come to the table to voluntarily comply with Title IX, HHS will enforce Title IX to the fullest extent permitted by the law,” Archeval said. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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