Maine’s Gov. Stood Up For Trans Athletes. Now The Trump Administration Has Suspended University Of Maine Funding
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has temporarily halted funding to the university as they investigate “potential Title VI or Title IX violations.”
The Trump administration has put a target on the back of Maine Governor Janet Mills, and federal departments keep slashing it.
Most recently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has suspended funding for the University of Maine. This will hinder university research and programs including education and outreach regarding farm biosecurity and disease outbreak preparedness, training to help farmers manage pests, and research to ensure the sustainability of Maine’s lobster industry, according to the university. MaineU received nearly $30 million from the USDA last year, which was primarily used for research.
School officials say they received an email that appears to have originated from the USDA’s Office of the Chief Financial Officer, stating that no funding or payments would be released to the University of Maine or Columbia University. The pause towards Columbia’s funding stems from the alleged “harassment of Jewish students,” which has also led the Trump administration to cancel $400 million in federal grants for Columbia.
Related: Maine Found Guilty Of “Discrimination” For Allowing Trans Athletes In Sports
The investigation into Maine began on Feb. 21, when Governor Janet Mills held her ground against President Trump over his executive order banning transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports. Mills refused to comply with his order, to which Trump threatened to cut federal funding to Maine.
“We’ll see you in court,” Mills responded.
“Enjoy your life after governor, because I don’t think you’ll be an elected official afterwards,” Trump retorted.
On Feb. 22, the USDA announced it would begin a Title IX compliance review of UMaine. School officials confirmed to the department that their athletic programs complied with state and federal laws, as well as the updated NCAA policy, which bars trans varsity athletes from competing in women’s sports. According to a press release from the University of Maine, the school had not received any communication from the USDA since Feb. 26, after they provided the requested information.
“UMS is unaware of being subject to any compliance reviews by USDA or any other federal agencies pertaining to Title VI,” the press release reads.
The memo from the USDA states funding will be paused while the department investigates “potential Title VI or Title IX violations” at both the University of Maine and Columbia University. MaineU has no idea when funding will be reinstated.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently found the state guilty of violating Title IX “by denying female student athletes in the State of Maine an equal opportunity to participate” in school sports. The U.S. Department of Education has also launched a probe.
