US finds Maine policy on transgender athletes violates law

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Trump administration said on Monday that it had determined Maine educational authorities were in violation of federal law prohibiting sex discrimination by allowing transgender girls to participate in school sports.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order last month to exclude transgender girls and women from female-only sports, a directive that supporters say will restore fairness but critics say infringes on the rights of a tiny minority of athletes.

The order directs the Department of Justice to make sure all government agencies enforce a ban under Trump's interpretation of Title IX, a law against sex discrimination in education.

In a statement, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said it had given the Maine Department of Education, the Maine Principals' Association and Greely High School in Cumberland, Maine, 10 days to resolve the alleged violation or it would refer the matter to the Department of Justice.

Maine became a focal point of the issue when a transgender athlete from Greely High School won a state championship in pole-vaulting in the girls' division.

In February, Trump had a high-profile clash with the Democratic governor of Maine, Janet Mills, when he threatened to withhold federal funds from the state over its policy on transgender participation in school sports.

Mills responded by telling the president: "We're going to follow the law, sir. We'll see you in court."

In 2021, Maine legislators updated a state law to explicitly prohibit discrimination based on gender identity.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey and Ismail Shakil; Editing by Caitlin Webber and Leslie Adler)