Maine’s Attorney General, Aaron Frey, announced on Friday that the state has settled with the Trump administration over the federal government’s withholding of funds from Maine schools linked to transgender athlete policies.
Frey expressed his disappointment that legal action was necessary just to adhere to USDA laws and regulations. However, he was relieved to have resolved the lawsuit, allowing Maine to access funds intended to support nutrition efforts for children and vulnerable adults.
The USDA had paused financial support for state education programs after Maine declined to follow President Trump’s executive order, which prohibited transgender women from participating in women’s sports teams.
In its complaint, Maine described the USDA’s actions as “blatantly illegal,” arguing that this made it tougher for schools to provide nutritional support to children and adults.
Agriculture Secretary Brook Rollins informed Maine Governor Janet Mills in a letter that funds would be frozen “due to the specific management and technical functions of the school.”
The funding freeze was prompted by the Department of Education and the Health and Human Services Department’s assertion that Maine was in violation of Title IX anti-discrimination laws due to its policies on transgender athletes.
Governor Mills commented that the investigation felt politically motivated and coincided with ongoing debates with Trump regarding the issue of transgender athletes.
In response to Trump’s inquiries about compliance with executive orders, Mills stated, “I’m complying with state and federal laws.”
Trump’s retort was essentially a warning about adhering to federal mandates to access funding.
