The Maine Department of Education and local school district have been placed under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) for allowing males to compete in girls’ sports. According to The Christian Post, the OCR’s letter informed MDOE that allowing males to compete in girls’ sports is considered a violation of federal antidiscrimination law, specifically Title IX. The letter also noted Maine School Administrative District #51 as another subject of investigation following reports that Greely High School continues to let a male student compete as a girl.
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” which directs executive agencies to take “all appropriate action to protect all-female athletic opportunities.”
The executive order also promised to withdraw federal funding from educational institutions that unfairly treat women and girls in competitive sports.
In a statement on Friday, Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights, said, “Maine would have you believe that it has no choice in how it treats women and girls in athletics — that is, that it must follow its state laws and allow male athletes to compete against women and girls,”
“Let me be clear: If Maine wants to continue to receive federal funds from the Education Department, it has to follow Title IX,” Trainor added.
“If it wants to forgo federal funds and continue to trample the rights of its young female athletes, that, too, is its choice. OCR will do everything in its power to ensure taxpayers are not funding blatant civil rights violators.”
Responding to media attention surrounding MSAD #51, Superintendent Jeffrey Porter posted an email he addressed to the district community on Friday, stressing that the district will follow local district policies and state law.
“In the case of athletics, the Maine Principles’ Association (MPA), which oversees high school athletic rules statewide, has adopted the MDOE’s position in following state law,” Porter wrote. “There are continued legalities around how this executive order could affect federal funding to school districts, but this issue rests with the state and not local school districts.”
The superintendent added that the district will follow the direction of the MDOE and MPA unless it is instructed otherwise. As recently as Friday, Porter contacted the Department of Education.
At the time the email was sent, the superintendent said that there are “no anticipated changes in the state’s direction in the near future.”
During an event at the White House last Friday, Trump directly rebuked Maine Gov. Janet Mills and warned he would withdraw federal funding from her state for refusing to comply with his “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” executive order.
Photo Credit: ©YouTube/News Center Maine
Originally published February 25, 2025.
