The Trump administration filed a lawsuit against Maine on Wednesday, accusing the state of violating federal Title IX law by allowing transgender girls to compete in girls’ school sports. The move follows weeks of tensions between the administration and Democratic Governor Janet Mills, who refused to comply with a proposed settlement banning transgender athletes.
Attorney General Pam Bondi, joined by former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines and other female athletes, said the administration is prepared to sue other states as well. “This Department of Justice will fight for women if the state of Maine will not,” Bondi said.
This Department of Justice will fight for women if the state of Maine will not.
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) April 16, 2025
Boys should not break records in women’s sports.
Boys should not deny scholarship opportunities to dedicated female athletes.
Boys should not be in the girls locker room. pic.twitter.com/anPSDcnYkM
Trump signed an executive order in February titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports”, requiring compliance with a birth-sex-based definition of gender. Mills called the lawsuit a federal overreach and vowed to defend Maine’s human rights laws.
