The Trump administrator moves to retain federal Maine funds on the trans athletes dispute

The United States Department of Education said Friday that it will proceed with the retention of federal funds in Maine after state officials refused to sign a resolution agreement of Title IX that would prohibit transgender athletes in girls in girls in the state.

The matter will also be deferred to the Department of Justice “for a greater compliance action,” said the department in a statement.

The actions occurred after the State reported the Office of Civil Rights of the Department of Education of the United States in a letter on Friday that the Department of Education of Maine and the Office of the Prosecutor of Maine will not sign the Resolution Agreement.

“Nothing in Title IX or its implementation regulations prohibit schools to allow transgender girls and women to participate in the sports teams of girls and women,” said Maine Sarah Forster Attorney General in the Charter. “Their letters to date do not cite a single case that is maintained. On the contrary, several federal courts have argued that title IX and/or the equal protection clause require that schools allow such participation.”

Federal officials last month said they found Maine’s Department of Education in breach of President Donald Trump’s Executive order Issued on February 5 that prohibits transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports.

In final warning letter Submitted to the State on March 31, the Office of Civil Rights of the United States Department of Education granted the Department of Education of Maine until April 11 to sign the resolution agreement before advancing with the consequences for breach.

The Department of Education said Friday that “an administrative procedure will begin to judge the termination of Federal K-12 Funds of MDOE, including the discretionary formulas and subsidies,” as well as referring the case to the DOJ.

“The department has given Maine all the opportunities to comply with Title IX, but state leaders have stubbornly refused to do so, choosing instead prioritizing an extremist ideological agenda on the safety of their students, privacy and dignity,” said Craig Trainor Civil Rights Secretary of his students. “The Department of Education of Maine will now have to defend its discriminatory practices before a judge of administrative law of the department and in a federal court against the Department of Justice.”

The Democratic Governor of Maine, Janet Mills, “would have done well to adhere to the wisdom integrated in the old language. Be careful with what you want. Now you will see the Trump administration in court,” he added.

Mills previously told Trump that he would see him in court on the matter at a White House event with a bipartisan group of governors in February.

While Trump discussed his executive order that prohibits the transgender athletes of women’s sports, he asked Mills directly: “Willn’t it comply with that?”

She replied that she would comply with state and federal laws.

“Well, I am, we are the federal law,” Trump said, adding: “Well, you better do it. You better do it because you will not get any federal financing if you don’t.”

Mills replied: “See you in court.”

“Well,” Trump replied. “I’ll see you in court. I hope that. That should be easy. And enjoy your life after the governor, because I don’t think you are in chosen policy.”

After the White House meeting, Mills responded to Trump’s threat to retain federal funds in a statement, saying: “If the president tries to deprive Maine’s school children for the benefit of federal funds, my administration and the attorney general will take all appropriate and necessary legal measures to restore that the financing and academic opportunity they provide.

Hannah Demissie of ABC News, Alexandra Hutzler and Jack Moore contributed to this report.