Trump Sues Maine Over Transgender Girls in School Sports

The lawsuit escalates a national campaign to restrict transgender athlete participation as Maine pushes back amid shifting public opinion.

Photo by Jefferson Sees on Unsplash

The Trump administration has filed a federal lawsuit against Maine, arguing the state is violating Title IX by allowing transgender girls to compete on school sports teams.

The suit asks a federal court to force Maine to ban transgender girls from female teams and to retroactively reassign titles to cisgender athletes.

This marks a sharp escalation in the administration’s effort to enforce a nationwide ban on trans participation in women’s sports — a policy at the center of Trump’s 2024 campaign.

Trump Administration Targets State Policy

Early Wednesday, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the lawsuit, stating: “The Department of Justice will not sit by when women are discriminated against in sports. This is also about these young women’s personal safety.” (ABC News)

The basis for the lawsuit centers on Title IX, the federal law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs and activities, including sports.

Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, who attended the press conference, said that Maine "continues to willfully violate Title IX." She added, "We offered Maine leaders multiple opportunities to change their policy and to protect women in sports, and they have refused." (USA Today)

Maine Pushes Back

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