Federal judge demands Trump restore Maine funding amid trans sports fight

In the ruling, the judge determined that the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) "must immediately unfreeze and release to the state of Maine any federal funding that they have frozen or failed or refused to pay because of the state of Maine's alleged failure to comply with the requirements of Title IX,” per Fox News. Additionally, the administration is "barred from freezing, terminating, or otherwise interfering with the state of Maine's future federal funding for alleged violations of Title IX without complying with the legally required procedure."

The USDA earlier this month announced a freeze and review of funding to Maine, citing the state's refusal to comply with President Donald Trump's executive order issued in February. That order bars transgender-identifying biological males from competing in girls’ and women’s sports in educational settings. Trump had warned that Maine would lose federal funding if it did not comply.

Maine officials, however, resisted the administration’s order, and on Monday filed a lawsuit accusing the USDA of "withholding funding used to feed children in schools, childcare centers, and after-school programming as well as disabled adults in congregate settings.” The judge agreed with this argument, noting that the freeze was due to Title IX violations but restricted the ability to "provid[e] meals to children and vulnerable adults."

The Department of Justice has also launched an investigation into Maine's noncompliance with the executive order. On Friday, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights referred the Maine Department of Education to the DOJ for allowing transgender-identifying athletes to compete in girls’ sports.

This marks the second DOJ referral in a month. In March, the Department of Health and Human Services referred the Maine Department of Education, the Maine Principals' Association, and Greely High School after a biological male won a state girls’ pole-vaulting championship.