The Trump administration has opened a Title IX investigation into Maine’s Department of Education and a local school district after a heated exchange between President Donald Trump and Governor Janet Mills over the state’s policy allowing biological males to compete in girls’ sports.
During a recent White House meeting, President Trump directly challenged Governor Mills on Maine’s refusal to comply with his executive order barring transgender athletes from competing in female sports. When Mills defiantly defended her state’s policy, Trump responded by threatening to cut federal education funding, prompting Mills to fire back, “See you in court.”
Following the confrontation, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights formally announced an investigation into whether Maine’s policies violate federal anti-discrimination laws under Title IX. Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor made it clear that state laws cannot override federal regulations, warning that Maine’s continued refusal to comply could jeopardize hundreds of millions in federal education funding.
This move is part of Trump’s broader effort to protect fairness in women’s sports, reinforcing his administration’s stance that biological differences must be recognized to maintain competitive integrity. Trump and Republican leaders have consistently argued that allowing male-born athletes to compete in female categories is a direct violation of Title IX protections for women.
With the federal investigation now underway, Maine faces serious consequences if it continues to defy federal law. The Trump administration has made it clear: states that undermine women’s sports by prioritizing radical gender policies over fairness and science will not be subsidized by American taxpayers.