Maine universities cave to Trump demand to protect women’s sports

Last week, the network of eight public universities was subjected to a temporary pause in funding from the USDA for allowing males to compete in women's and girls’ sports.

The funding was reinstated a few days later and, according to the USDA, UMS is in full compliance with Trump's executive order. The USDA said in the announcement, "After the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) initiated a Title IX compliance review regarding federal funding, the University of Maine System (UMaine) has clearly communicated its compliance with Title IX’s requirement to protect equal opportunities for women and girls to compete in safe and fair sports, as articulated in President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order. Any false claim by the UMS can, and will, result in onerous and even potentially criminal financial liability."

UMS Chancellor Dannel Malloy told Fox News in a statement that the system is "relieved" to have come to an understanding with the USDA writing, "The University of Maine System has always maintained its compliance with state and federal laws and with NCAA rules, which the U.S. Department of Agriculture also affirmed in a press release today."

"We are relieved to put the Department’s Title IX compliance review behind us so the land-grant University of Maine and our statewide partners can continue to leverage USDA and other essential federal funds to strengthen and grow our natural resource economy and dependent rural communities through world-class education, research and extension."

According to the USDA, the agency has provided over $100 million to UMS in recent years. In fiscal year 2024 alone, the USDA granted $29.78 million in funding to UMS for research.

After the NCAA changed its gender eligibility policy to prohibit men from competing in women's sports, President Trump pledged during a meeting of GOP governors at the White House on Feb. 20 to cut federal funding to Maine if it continued to allow the practice.

The following day, Democratic Governor Janet Mills threatened legal action against the Trump administration if it withheld federal funding from the state. Trump and Mills verbally sparred over the issue during a televised bipartisan meeting of governors at the White House.

Hours after the argument, the Education Department announced it would investigate the state for allowing boys to compete in girls’ sports and for potential Title IX violations. The US Department of Health and Human Services has already determined that the state and its Department of Education violated Title IX by allowing men to compete in women’s sports and warned Maine that it would make referrals to the Department of Justice if the state doesn’t provide a written agreement to comply with Trump's executive order.