The Trump administration’s Department of Justice has taken a bold step by filing a civil lawsuit against Maine over its refusal to comply with federal transgender policies in sports.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the lawsuit on Wednesday, targeting the Maine Department of Education. The state’s policies, which allow transgender athletes to participate in female sports, are accused of violating Title IX — or, in Bondi’s words, “pretty basic stuff.”
.@AGPamBondi announces a civil lawsuit against the Maine Department of Education over their consistent and willful refusal to protect women and girls in sports and other private spaces.
“We have exhausted every other remedy.” pic.twitter.com/sJOlRdoa0t
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 16, 2025
Title IX, a federal law enacted in 1972, prohibits sex-based discrimination in education programs receiving federal funding.
The DOJ argues that Maine’s approach undermines fairness for female athletes.
Bondi emphasized the administration’s patient stance during a news conference, saying, “We have exhausted every other remedy. We tried to get Maine to comply.”
The lawsuit follows Maine’s refusal to align with President Donald Trump’s executive order banning transgender athletes from women’s sports. Signed in February 2025, the order aims to ensure fair competition for female athletes — something which many argue is impossible with men participating in women’s sports.
Bondi stressed: “We are going to continue to fight for women.”
Is the state of Maine failing its female athletes?
The controversy centers on Maine’s alleged violation of Title IX by allowing transgender athletes to compete on girls’ teams. The DOJ claims this practice discriminates against female athletes by denying them equal opportunities, as reported by News Nation.
Maine Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat, has resisted federal pressure, maintaining that the state’s policies protect all students. She has vowed to fight the lawsuit, escalating tensions with the Trump administration.
The DOJ’s action comes after other attempts to enforce compliance failed, including the freezing of federal funding for the University of Maine System.
Pro-woman activist Riley Gaines joined Bondi at the press conference, voicing her frustration that Mills wasn’t just opposing Trump, but the swathes of young women who support him:
.@Riley_Gaines_ calls out Governor Mills for REFUSING to protect young female athletes:
“That is who Governor Mills is fighting, not Donald Trump, it is those little girls and I believe that is sick.” pic.twitter.com/l9WRK9oqmr
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) April 16, 2025
Gaines, a former collegiate swimmer, has been a vocal advocate for Trump’s policies on women’s sports.
Gaines and Bondi were further flanked by, among others, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, who stressed that Maine was “willfully” marching towards its own demise.
“Unfortunately, our investigation has found that Maine continues to willfully violate Title IX and to strip the civil rights of female athletes in the state,” McMahon said.
Echoing Bondi, McMahon called this not only a civil rights issue, but a safety issue, as well.
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