The Trump administration has initiated legal action against Maine, citing the state’s refusal to prohibit transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports. This move intensifies the ongoing conflict between President Donald Trump and Maine Governor Janet Mills.
The lawsuit, filed by the Department of Justice on April 16, 2025, alleges that the Maine Department of Education is violating Title IX. This federal civil rights law prohibits sex-based discrimination in educational programs. In February, Trump signed an executive order interpreting Title IX as barring transgender women and girls from female sports categories.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi defended the legal action, stating that the Department of Justice “will not sit by when women are discriminated against in sports.” She emphasized the importance of the issue by noting concerns for “these young women’s personal safety.”
Bondi mentioned the administration’s intent to remove titles from transgender athletes who have competed in women’s sports in Maine. “We are also considering whether to retroactively pull all the funding that they [the education department] have received for not complying in the past,” she noted.
The lawsuit follows several attempts by the Trump administration to withdraw federal funding from Maine’s public schools and its school lunch program. These actions appear to stem from a public disagreement between Governor Mills and President Trump during a meeting of U.S. governors on February 21.
During the meeting, Trump threatened to cut Maine’s federal education funding if Mills did not adhere to his executive order on transgender athletes. Mills reportedly replied, “We’ll see you in court.”
In a statement on Wednesday, Mills defended Maine’s stance and accused the federal government of exceeding its authority. She said the issue is “never been about school sports or the protection of women and girls,” accusing the government of “imposing its will” on states.
“For nearly two months, Maine has endured recriminations from the federal government that have targeted hungry school kids, hardworking fishermen, senior citizens, new parents, and countless Maine people,” Mills stated. She mentioned politically motivated investigations ending abruptly, implying predetermined outcomes.
According to Mills, there are currently only two transgender athletes competing in Maine schools. A UCLA Williams Institute study indicates that less than 1% of individuals over 13 years old in the United States are transgender.
The dispute centers on differing interpretations of Title IX. The Trump administration argues that allowing transgender women to compete in women’s sports infringes on this law by depriving female athletes of fair competition and equal opportunities. Maine officials counter that the state’s laws uphold transgender rights, asserting a misinterpretation by the federal government.
The Department of Justice seeks an injunction against Maine’s transgender policy and aims for “the titles returned to young women who fully won these sports,” according to DOJ statements. Bondi stressed the importance of protecting women’s sports, regardless of the number of transgender athletes involved.
Maine is not the only state facing potential legal action from the Trump administration over this issue. The Department of Justice has threatened to sue Minnesota and California for their policies allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports. The DOJ has expressed a preference for these states to comply with federal law as interpreted by the Trump administration.
The lawsuit against Maine is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to reverse policies regarding transgender individuals established by the Biden administration. In February, following Trump’s executive order titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” the NCAA, the governing body for U.S. college sports, banned transgender women from competing in women’s sports.
This decision has significantly impacted transgender athletes nationwide. The NCAA ruling affects more than 500,000 college athletes across the country, although the NCAA president noted that fewer than 10 publicly identify as transgender.
The lawsuit comes as the U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill to redefine sex in Title IX to align with genetic sex at birth, which could have extensive effects on transgender athletes. However, the bill requires Democratic support to proceed in the Senate.
Polling data suggests most Americans do not support transgender athletes competing in girls’ and women’s sports. In contrast, advocates for transgender rights argue these policies exclude transgender youth from vital physical and social activities.
On the same day as the U.S. lawsuit against Maine was announced, the Supreme Court in the United Kingdom ruled that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex. The court stated that transgender individuals still have legal protection from discrimination.
