The U.S. Department of Justice has released a lawsuit against Maine over the ongoing rebellion of President Donald Trump's executive order to keep biological men out of girls and women's sports and protect Title IX violations.
Attorney General Pam Bondy announced the lawsuit at a press conference Wednesday morning. It's the latest chapter in the state-Trump administration's battle after a federal judge suspended a funding freeze launched by the USDA (USDA).
Bondy attended the press conference, joined by conservative activists Riley Gaines and Fencer Stephanie Turner.
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Attorney General Pam Bondy. (AP Photo/Maltara Bandia)
“The Justice Department doesn't sit when women are discriminated against in sports,” Bondy said at a press conference. “…What they've experienced is horrifying.”
Fox News Digital has asked Maine Gov. Janet Mills and Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey for comment.
“We want to make the state comply with us,” Bondy added.
Bondy said they are seeking an injunction and giving the title back to the girls who “justly” won the competitions that trans-athletes participated in.
The Justice Department has accused the “open and rebellious disregard for the federal anti-discrimination laws of “openly and rebelliously disregarding the federal anti-discrimination laws” by enforcing policies requiring children to compete in athletics designated exclusively for girls.
“By prioritizing gender identity over biological realities, Maine's policy exposes girls' athletes to fair competition, denying them equal opportunities for movement, and increasing the risk of physical injury and psychological harm,” the complaint added.
File Photo: Before a press conference with the Washington Attorney General on January 24, 2023, a seal showing the Department of Justice headquarters, which marks the Department of Justice's headquarters, known as the “main justice,” can be seen behind the podium in the department's headquarters briefing room. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarck/File Photo)
The difference between men and women is “Title IX and its implementation regulations… is why gender-segmented sports allow and encourage girls to have equal opportunities for athletics participation, excellent and educational benefits. However, Maine's policy exemplifies this Core Title IX principle by competing regardless of these biological readings by allowing boys to compete in girls' sports.
The complaint said the United States is seeking “a ruling granting a declarative injunction and seeking damages for defendant's violation of Title IX and for breach of a federal funding agreement that it undertakes to comply with Title IX and its implementation regulations.”
Turner spoke about the Department of Justice lawsuit against the state against Fox News Digital.
“It's sad that this has to be a political issue, and I think this missed the opportunity for Democrats to gain support among the majority of the United States,” Turner said of the press conference.
“I'm grateful that there's an administration taking this issue seriously.”
Stephanie Turner is away from her American fencing career when she was on probation after protesting against a trans athlete
The lawsuit comes two months after the infamous hostile exchange between Trump and Mills at the White House deputy-partisan governor's meeting on February 21.
Now, Trump's administration is doing his vow to bring the matter to court.
Fencer Stephanie Turner kneels in front of American fencing officials. (Icon provided)
The administration has hampered the state with federal pressure to comply with the issue over the past seven weeks, launching multiple investigations into educational institutions and cutting funding from the USDA.
In response, the state launched its own lawsuit against the administration regarding the recent USDA cuts, with federal judges ordering that funds cannot be frozen.
Republican opposition in the state fought aggressively against factories. This is an educational institution that stood firm in Congress's majority and trans-inclusion. Rep. Laurel Libby was the central figure in this opposition, first drawing attention to the issue in a social media post identifying the trans athlete who won the women's pole vault competition in February.
Now, Libby is happy to see the DOJ step in and take legal action against the state.
“Despite repeated warnings from President Trump, Gov. Janet Mills and the Maine Democrats continue to discriminate against women and girls in Maine, prioritizing their awakening ideology over biological reality. As a result, the Justice Department has no choice but to take action against erasing women and girls in sports,” Libby told Fox News Digital.
Democrat government Janet Mills will make a state speech at the Capitol in Augusta, Maine on January 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukati, File)
“Maine Democrats have doubled the left agenda, with students and families poised to lose hundreds of millions of people in federal funding. Their radical gender ideology puts them at risk of continuing presence in women's sport and being punished by Maine students, contrary to the will of Maine citizens.”
Libby has joined her with some passionate civilians who have spoken about the issue in recent months, as well as Republican colleagues who oppose Democrats in states that are against Trump.
Maine school districts are moving to follow Trump on behalf of the nation over issues. The MSAD #70 School Board unanimously adhered to Title IX on Monday night, and Principal Tyler Putnam told Fox News Digital that it will amend the district's policies to prevent trans athletes from competing in women's sports.
USA Fencing Transgender Controversy Gets Doge's Hearing After Stephanie Turner is Punished to Knee in Protest
A Maine parent named Nick Blanchard has recently attracted the attention of the public after being cut off at a school board meeting in Maine's capital, Augusta.
Maine High School student Cassidy Carlyle spoke about the issue during a rally in the anti-Augusta Mills and traveled to the White House on February 27 to discuss the issue in her state. Before that, she had to share a locker room with a trans athlete in a gym class at a middle school six years ago.
As Maine's conflict becomes a national issue, conservative opposition also has gained support from prominent national activists.
Nicole Neely, founder and president of Education Education, celebrated the verdict in a statement from Fox News Digital.
“The Justice Department lawsuit shows that this administration is serious about prioritizing student safety, a welcome change for parents across the country. Maine has made a conscious decision to violate the original intentions of Title IX by allowing men to participate in women's sports.
Maré, executive director of the American Union of Parents, told Fox News Digital that she believes the Trump administration is sending a strong message in the lawsuit.
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“This action by the administration sends a clear message to parents who are protected for their daughter's private space and fighting for a fair campaign race. The daughter's rights and privacy should not be affected by the whims of ideology.
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