Trump Threatens to Withdraw Federal Funds from Maine for Non-compliance with 'No Men in Women's Sports' Mandate
President Donald Trump has threatened to withhold federal funding to Maine if the state continues to disregard his executive order that bars transgender athletes from participating in women's sports. Trump made the announcement during a meeting with Republican governors in Washington, expressing his disbelief at the state's resistance to the policy.
The executive order, signed on February 5th, mandated all federal agencies to review grants, programs, and policies that did not adhere to the administration's stance on prohibiting male participation in women’s sports, citing safety, fairness, dignity, and truth as the reasons. The directive also required strict enforcement of Title IX against educational institutions or athletic associations not in compliance, with non-compliant institutions facing the potential loss of federal aid.
The executive order highlighted that numerous sports governing bodies lacked an official stance or requirements related to transgender athletes. Some permitted men to compete in women's categories if they lowered their testosterone levels below specified standards or provided documentation of ‘sincerely held’ gender identity. Trump's order deemed such policies unfair to female athletes and insufficient in ensuring their safety.
In response to the order, several states, predominantly Democrat-run, including Maine, California, Minnesota, and others, asserted their refusal to comply. Mike Burnham, executive director of the Maine Principals Association (MPA), stated that athletic teams would continue to determine eligibility based on a student's self-identified gender, despite the president's order.
Burnham noted that the executive order was in conflict with Maine's Human Rights Act, designed to protect human rights. Hence, the MPA would prioritize state law over the executive order when determining athletic eligibility.
The U.S. Department of Education has since initiated Title IX investigations into the Minnesota State High School League and the California Interscholastic Federation for their refusal to comply with the executive order. Notwithstanding, some Democrat-led states have complied with Trump's order swiftly. The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association recently updated its policies to only allow athletes "designated as females at birth" to participate in girls sports, reversing a policy in place since 2013 that permitted transgender athletes in girls sports.
The Department of Education emphasized that state laws do not supersede federal anti-discrimination laws, making the associations subject to investigations. The acting assistant secretary for civil rights, Craig Trainor, warned that organizations must comply with federal law, regardless of their symbolic gestures. He pointed out that history did not view kindly entities and states that actively resisted the enforcement of federal civil rights laws that protect women and girls from discrimination and harassment.