Two high school girls from Maine are preparing to request intervention from federal authorities concerning a transgender soccer player’s participation on an opposing team. They allege that state eligibility rules have hindered fair competition for them and negatively impacted their teams’ performance.
According to a draft Title IX complaint by Alliance Defending Freedom, shared with OutKick, this athlete significantly contributed to South Portland High School’s success, scoring or assisting on about half of their goals this season. The drafted complaint attributes 15 goals and 10 assists to this player.
ADF plans to submit the formal complaint to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights on behalf of Reagan Wilson from Fryeburg Academy and Morgan Clark, a junior soccer captain at Windham High School. The draft complaint is not yet filed.
The draft argues that despite their dedication and persistence, Reagan and Morgan risk missing out on victory due to Maine’s policies that allow individuals assigned male at birth, possessing inherent advantages, to compete on girls’ teams.
“Reagan and Morgan call on OCR to intervene, halt this violation of federal law, and ensure that women and girls have the opportunity to compete fairly,” it states.
The complaint aims to address the Maine Department of Education, Maine Principals’ Association, South Portland School Department, and Windham Raymond School District. It requests an investigation into the eligibility policies and remedies for alleged previous violations.
The issue revolves around a freshman who identifies as female and joined South Portland’s girls’ varsity soccer team this fall. Specific match contributions are noted, including three goals in a 7-0 season opener against Portland and multiple scores in other games.
The draft also notes how South Portland’s performance has improved significantly compared to last season, moving from a 3-9-2 record in 2025 to 11-2-2 after their first regional quarterfinal win.
Wilson experienced a loss to South Portland in an August match, while Clark’s team tied with South Portland earlier in October, which the complaint argues negatively affected Windham’s rankings.
Both students plan to continue playing varsity soccer next year and expect to encounter the transgender athlete again, as indicated by their attorneys.
Wilson’s competitive history isn’t limited to soccer; she previously faced a transgender runner who won the 2024 cross-country championship and alleges her track team’s ranking suffered due to a similar issue at a state pole vault championship.
The complaint challenges the Maine Principals’ Association’s gender participation policy, which permits transgender students to compete based on either their birth sex or gender identity without any medical verification.
ADF asserts that the existing policy undermines equal opportunities for female athletes, allowing biological males to compete and win in both categories, thus disadvantaging female competitors.
Maine officials defend their participation policies based on the Maine Human Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination concerning gender identity. The Maine Principals’ Association has stated they will continue to adhere to state law, irrespective of federal changes proposed during previous administrations.
The complaint also references a recent Supreme Court ruling which supports state-mandated eligibility rules based on biological sex, although it leaves unclear the rights of transgender athletes in girls’ sports.
This legal initiative emerges in response to a controversy from early 2025 when a transgender athlete from Greely High School won a girls’ state pole-vault championship, leading to a confrontation with then-President Trump concerning federal funding implications for Maine.
Reagan and Morgan are scheduled to hold a press conference at the Capitol Building in Augusta to discuss their position, alongside ADF and other groups advocating for a 2027 referendum regarding school sports and facilities. The Protect Girls Sports in Maine committee intends to submit further signatures for their petition after previously falling short of the required valid signatures for this year’s ballot.
This announcement is also timed closely with Maine’s Senate election, where incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins supports restrictions on transgender participation in women’s sports, contrasting with Democratic challenger Troy Jackson’s previous votes against such measures.
