The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on Wednesday that it has halted certain federal funds for Maine’s educational programs due to the state's reluctance to prohibit transgender individuals from participating in girls' and women's sports, as mandated by President Trump and his administration.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins declared the halt following a letter Sent to Maine Governor Janet Mills (D), this explanation details that funding will be halted "for specific administrative and technological operations within educational institutions."
A representative from the department failed to respond to emailed inquiries regarding which particular programs the agency has halted funding for. However, this suspension does not impact federal food assistance initiatives or direct aid. to a news release .
The USDA is also examining the state’s research and education-focused financial support "to ensure adherence to the Constitution," federal statutes, and "the objectives set forth by the Trump administration," as stated by Rollins. She particularly highlighted Title IX, the legislation prohibiting gender-based discrimination, along with Title VI, which prohibits discrimination based on racial and ethnic grounds.
The Trump administration has utilized these statutes as part of its efforts to crack down on transgender rights and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in educational institutions. The executive orders issued by the president intend to do so. to ban trans athletes From girls' and women's scholastic athletics programs and halt diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives across federal agencies and organizations receiving grants. A separate directive instructs educational institutions to cease instruction deemed by the Trump administration as critical race theory—a scholarly approach analyzing American history with a focus on racial dynamics—alongside other topics concerning race, gender, and sexual orientation.
Officials from Maine, such as Governor Mills and State Attorney General Aaron Frey (D), have stated that President Trump’s directive regarding transgender athletes contradicts the Maine Human Rights Act. This act clearly upholds the rights of transgender students to engage in sports activities aligned with their gender identity. However, the Trump administration contends that under federal law—specifically Title IX—the state must comply with these guidelines. They argue that allowing transgender females to compete against cisgender female athletes breaches this regulation.
"When federal and state laws contradict each other, states and their agencies must adhere to federal law," stated Attorney General Pam Bondi (R). wrote to Mills and officials from California and Minnesota in February.
You can't blatantly flout federal laws prohibiting discrimination in education and still anticipate an uninterrupted flow of federal funds," Rollins stated in Wednesday's letter to Mills. "Your refusal to comply with federal statutes, particularly under Title IX for educational programs, has come at a financial expense to your state.
She remarked, "This is merely the start; however, you can halt it whenever you choose to comply with federal law by safeguarding women and girls."
A representative for Mills has not yet responded to requests for commentary.
Rollins mentioned that the USDA has initiated "an extensive review" of the grants provided to Maine’s education department by the Biden administration. He alleged that numerous grants appear to be inefficient, repetitive, or not aligned with the objectives set during the Trump Administration.
"USDA will not expand the swollen bureaucracy of the Biden Administration and will concentrate on a department that prioritizes farmers and lacks a left-leaning social agenda," she stated.
The specific grants mentioned in Rollins's letter remain ambiguous. Attempts to seek clarification from a department spokesperson were unsuccessful as they did not respond to requests for comment.
The funding freeze imposed on the USDA represents the most recent event in an ongoing one-month conflict between Mills and Trump regarding the state's failure to comply with Trump's executive directive on transgender athletes.
A month ago, the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services determined that Maine had breached Title IX after probes which the governor had labeled as "politically driven." This past Monday, theEducationDepartment handed downwhat they termeda“finalwarning”toMaine’sstatedepartmentofeducationbeforereferringtheinvestigationtotheJusticeDepartment.
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