On April 16, 2025, the Justice Department sued Maine’s education department over the state’s refusal to bar transgender athletes from participating in girls’ sports at the high school level. The lawsuit alleged that Maine was violating Title IX and was filed just five days after the Trump administration attempted to eliminate all federal education funding for Maine’s public schools in response to state officials refusing to prevent transgender athletes from participating in girls’ sports.

The recent push to oust transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports follows an executive order Trump signed on February 5, 2025. The order promised to deny federal funding to high schools and colleges with policies that prevent discrimination against transgender athletes. The U.S. government also applied its anti-transgender approach to international athletic events, as the administration instructed its consular officials to deny visas for transgender athletes seeking travel to the U.S. for sporting events, while also opening the door on permanent visa bans for transgender applicants who are judged to have “misrepresented” their sex on their visa application.

The lawsuit is the latest in a series of actions taken by Trump to roll back other provisions put in place by the Biden administration to stop discrimination against transgender people.

Ultimately, this matter is about the protections afforded by Title IX and the Maine Human Rights Act. We are confident Maine is acting in accordance with those laws. Our position is further bolstered by the complete lack of any legal citation supporting the Administration’s position in its own complaint. Attorney General Aaron Frey