Department of Education issues 'final warning' to Maine over Title IX violations for allowing men in women's sports

The United States Department of Education issued what it described as its final warning to Maine's Department of Education over the state allowing males to compete against females.

Citing President Trump's executive order to prevent women's sports from being infiltrated by men, the federal entity opened an investigation into Maine's education department in February. Now, the federal department said it is asking the state to fall in line with the federal mandate or face possible enforcement from the Department of Justice when it turns in the results of its Title IX investigation.

In March, the Civil Rights Office said the Maine Department of Education, the Maine Principals’ Association, and Greely High School are each in violation of Title IX.

As Blaze News previously reported, Greely High School in Cumberland, Maine, allowed a male athlete to take first place in a girls' pole vault competition.

About a week later, a male athlete took a podium spot from a female athlete in Maine's state championship for girls' high school Nordic skiing.

In both instances, the Maine Principals' Association took responsibility for governing high school sports in the state and also declared it would not follow the president's executive order.

Just days after the U.S. Department of Education announced that the state entities were violating Title IX, the University of Maine System announced it would comply with the new federal standard after it revealed it lost millions in federal grants that were put on pause by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

'Under prior administrations, enforcement was an illusory proposition.'

The Department of Education said in its recent press release that it had proposed a resolution with Maine's Department of Education but that the state has declined to take action on the matter.

Craig Trainor, the acting assistant secretary for civil rights, said the Maine Department of Education's indifference to "its past, current, and future female athletes" is "astonishing."

"By refusing to comply with Title IX, MDOE allows — indeed, encourages — male competitors to threaten the safety of female athletes, wrongfully obtain girls’ hard-earned accolades, and deny females equal opportunity in educational activities to which they are guaranteed under Title IX," Trainor stated.

Trainor added, "Under prior administrations, enforcement was an illusory proposition. No more. The Trump-McMahon Education Department is moving quickly to ensure that federal funds no longer support patently illegal practices that harm women and girls."

Maine and California are also in the crosshairs of the federal government for possible violations of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment.

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