The U.S. Department of Education’s Civil Rights Office has launched an investigation into Maine after Trump’s nervous nausea with the governor.
The administration launched a Maine Department of Education’s Title IX survey to see if transgender students could compete in women’s track and field and use women’s locker rooms. The department will also look into Main School Management District #51 in Cumberland for reports of transgender students competing in the girls category.
Craig’s trainer, representing the department’s Civil Rights Office, said Maine’s federal education funding is at risk if the state “continues to stomp the rights of young female athletes.” was emphasized in. The agency said “we will do everything with that power to ensure that taxpayers don’t fund blatant civil rights violators.”
The department released the investigation hours after Trump clashed with Democrat Gov. Janet Mills at the White House meeting. Trump called on Mills during his remarks to ask whether her state would comply with an executive order prohibiting trans athletes from participating in single sex competitions or joining teams that do not match birth sex.
When Mills said her state would comply with state and federal law, Trump replied, “You followed better, otherwise you didn’t get federal funds.”
Since January, the education department has launched several investigations under Title IX of the Gender Equality Act on Colleges, School Districts and State Athletics Organizations over rules regarding transgender athletes.
These investigations are usually resolved by departments ordering certain policy changes if schools are found to not comply with federal civil rights regulations. If they do not reach the contract, the department can refer the case to the U.S. Department of Justice to commence a lawsuit to cut off federal funds for schools that have not happened since the George H.W. Bush administration.
R-Maine Sen. Susan Collins issued a statement today, pushing back Trump’s threat to cut off funding for state schools.
“We will oppose the president’s attempts to cut Maine funds and will vehemently defend the fair share of federal funds at Maine schools,” she said.
