FIRST ON FOX: A letter signed by 14 Maine state senators was sent to the White House on Tuesday, condemning Gov. Janet Mills for her continued support of trans inclusion in girls’ sports.
The letter, obtained by Fox News Digital, also praised President Donald Trump’s administration for its handling of the situation in Maine. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) froze funding to the state last week, and a referral has been made to the Department of Justice over ongoing trans inclusion in girls’ sports in the state.
Maine officials filed a lawsuit against the USDA over the funding freeze on Monday.
The 14 senators also claim that Maine’s current policies that enable trans inclusion violate the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), as well as Title IX.
“Dear Mr. President, As you know, the working people of Maine agree with your commonsense approach to protect women’s sports and spaces. We applaud your administration’s efforts to bring Maine into compliance with not only the protections for women and girls guaranteed under the nation’s landmark Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, but what has also been identified as violations of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974,” the letter read.
“The majority of adults and students in Maine do not support Janet Mills and her radical policy of forcing girls to compete against males in athletics. For years, the good people of Maine have been held hostage by a few radical progressives from southern Maine, many of whom have scarce ties to the state. Despite her claims, the Governor could put a stop to these radical policies immediately. While we disagree with the Governor’s assertion that changes to the Maine Human Rights Act are required to stop this madness, we have put forward legislation that would resolve the issue of men in girls’ sports. This legislation could be voted on as early as this week if the Governor encourages legislative Democrats to join us in addressing this issue.
“Still, we believe Title IX and FERPA violations will continue under the leadership and inaction of Janet Mills. She cannot continue to hide behind her interpretation of the Maine Human Rights Act to ignore federal law. Title IX supersedes the Maine Human Rights Act and the Governor has an obligation to come into compliance with federal law for both the protection of female athletes and the rights of parents.”
The 14 senators who signed the letter are Maine Senate Republican leader Trey Stewart, assistant Senate Republican leader Matthew Harrington, Susan Bernard, Richard Bradstreet, Bruce Bickford, Scott Cryway, Russell Black, Brad Farrin, Stacey Guerin, Joseph Martin, David Haggan, Marianne Moore, James Libby and Jeff Timberlake.
“The questions I would like Governor Mills and her supporters to answer is, ‘Where are the Maine feminists? Why are they not standing in support of Maine female athletes?’” Guerin told Fox News Digital.
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Fox News Digital reached out to the White House, Mills and Maine Attoreny General Aaron Frey for comment on the senators’ letter.
The state has refused to comply with Trump’s February executive order to ban trans athletes from girls’ and women’s sports, prompting immense federal pressure. Trump initially vowed to cut federal funding to the state if it refused to comply with the order during a Feb. 20 speech.
Maine GOP state Rep. Laurel Libby was one of the key figures in bringing attention to the state’s trans inclusion issue, when she made a social media post identifying a transgender track and field athlete at Greely High School who had taken first place at a girls’ pole vault competition after competing as a boy just one year earlier.
Libby’s revelation ignited national conversation and coverage of the state’s policy on trans inclusion. Libby was censured by the Maine House Democratic majority for her post on the premise that she identified a minor, but she has since filed a lawsuit to have the censure lifted.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services referred the Maine Department of Education (MDOE), Maine Principals’ Association and Greely High School to the Justice Department on March 28 after dismissing multiple warnings to sign a written agreement to ban trans athletes from girls’ sports.
More potential sanctions could be coming to the state in the next week.
The U.S. Department of Education sent a letter to the Maine Department of Education (MDOE) on Monday advising a final deadline of April 11 to address the issue or risk a second referral to the Department of Justice. The Department of Health and Human Services already referred Maine to the DOJ last week.
A survey by the American Parents Coalition found that out of about 600 registered Maine voters, 63% said school sports participation should be based on biological sex, and 66% agreed it’s “only fair to restrict women’s sports to biological women.”
The poll also found that 60% of residents would support a ballot measure limiting participation in women’s and girls’ sports to biological females. This included 64% of independents and 66% of parents with kids under age 18.
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