The University of Maine system has agreed to exclude men from women’s sports to maintain its federal funding.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the university’s compliance in a press release earlier this week.
“After the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) initiated a Title IX compliance review regarding federal funding, the University of Maine System (UMaine) has 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,” the department’s press release said.
The department continued, “Any false claim by the UMaine can, and will, result in onerous and even potentially criminal financial liability.”
“UMaine’s decision to side with sanity is a win for women and girls in Maine,” it said.
University of Maine System Spokesperson Samantha Warren told Campus Reform that the university will remain in compliance.
“Maine’s public universities have ALWAYS been compliant with State and Federal laws and with NCAA rules, and we remained compliant when the NCAA updated its rules in February,” Warren said.
Last month, the Department of Education launched an investigation into Maine’s compliance with Title IX laws after Democrat Maine Governor Janet Mills clashed with President Donald Trump at a National Governors Association (NGA) meeting over biological males competing against females. During the meeting, she claimed that she would see Trump in court to fight him over the issue.
“Today the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) sent a letter to the Maine Department of Education Commissioner Pender Makin announcing that OCR is initiating a directed investigation of the Maine Department of Education (MDOE) amid allegations that it continues to allow male athletes to compete in girls’ interscholastic athletics and that it has denied female athletes female-only intimate facilities, thereby violating federal antidiscrimination law,” the DOE said in a press release.
“The letter also notifies MDOE that OCR is launching an investigation into Maine School Administrative District #51 (MSAD #51), after it was reported that Greely High School, a school under its jurisdiction, is continuing to allow at least one male student to compete in girls’ categories.”
Acting assistant secretary for civil rights Craig Trainor added:
“Maine would have you believe that it has no choice in how it treats women and girls in athletics – that is, that it must follow its state laws and allow male athletes to compete against women and girls. Let me be clear: If Maine wants to continue to receive federal funds from the Education Department, it has to follow Title IX. If it wants to forgo federal funds and continue to trample the rights of its young female athletes, that, too, is its choice. OCR will do everything in its power to ensure taxpayers are not funding blatant civil rights violators.”
The Department of Education found Maine’s Department of Education to be in violation of Title IX on March 19.
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