University Of Maine Complies With Trump’s Trans Athlete Ban

Trans athletes may no longer be welcome on women’s sports teams at the University of Maine. On Friday, the university said it is aligning with President Trump’s executive order banning trans athletes from women’s sports, an apparent reversal of its previous trans-inclusive policies.

Two weeks ago, the Department of Agriculture paused funding to the University of Maine System (UMS)—Maine’s statewide public university system—after the Department of Health and Human Services found the state in violation of Title IX for “sex-based discrimination.” At the time, Acting HHS Director Anthony Archeval said that by allowing trans athletes to compete on women’s sports teams, Maine was “denying female student athletes in the State of Maine an equal opportunity to participate.” As a public university system, UMS received nearly $30 million in USDA funding last year alone. 

Related: Maine Found Guilty Of “Discrimination” For Allowing Trans Athletes In Sports

However, just two days later, USDA reversed its suspension of funds, saying UMS had since “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.”

Last week, UMS Chancellor Dannel Malloy told NBC News, “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.”

UMS Chief Governmental Affairs Officer Samantha Warrans says the university system has always complied with state and federal laws, and claims UMS has abided by the NCAA’s trans exclusion policy since it was updated in February.

Related: Maine’s Governor Stood Up To Trump To Protect Trans Students. Now The State Is Under Investigation

The University of Maine’s choice to acquiesce to Trump’s demands marks the end of a month-long battle between the president and the state government. On February 21, the president publicly confronted Maine Governor Janet Mills over her refusal to implement his trans sports ban, threatening that defying him would be the end of her political career. At the time, Mills held strong, insisting the state was “following federal law” and telling the president, “We’ll see you in court.” 

Shortly after the incident, the Department of Education announced it was investigating Maine for potential violations of Title IX, which guards against sex-based discrimination in sports. The investigation, led by the Department of Health and Human Services, lasted just four days, concluding with minimal evidence and no witness testimony. By February 25, HHS had found the state government in violation of Title IX. The following day, the USDA announced its funding pause to the University of Maine, citing “prospective violations of Title IX and Title VI.” (Title VI protects against discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin). 

The University of Maine was one of several universities nationwide targeted by the Trump administration in recent weeks for alleged noncompliance with various policy changes. Last week, the administration announced it would halt $175 million in federal funding to the University of Pennsylvania because the university allowed a single trans woman to compete on its women’s swim team. Now, over a dozen top colleges and universities across the country have announced hiring freezes after receiving notice they too would receive major funding cuts.