UMaine System agrees to keep men out of women's sports to avoid loss of federal funding
The U.S. Department of Agriculture released a statement on Wednesday explaining that the university system 'Chooses Sanity' by not allowing men in women’s sports.
University of Maine System Spokesperson Samantha Warren told Campus Reform that the institution will remain in compliance with all state and federal legislation.
Several weeks after Maine Governor Janet Mills told President Trump she would “see you in court” regarding her state’s opposition to his executive order against men competing in women’s sports, the University of Maine System has agreed to follow the Trump administration’s orders.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture released a statement on Wednesday explaining that the university system “Chooses Sanity” by not allowing men in women’s sports.
“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 statement reads. “Any false claim by the UMaine can, and will, result in onerous and even potentially criminal financial liability.”
“The University of Maine System has always maintained its compliance with state and federal laws and with NCAA rules, which the U.S. Department of Agriculture also affirmed in a press release today,” Chancellor Dannel Malloy said in a statement to Fox News.
Similarly, University of Maine System Spokesperson Samantha Warren told Campus Reform that the institution will remain in compliance with all state and federal legislation.
“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.
The Trump administration recently stated that Maine had failed to comply with the administration’s prohibition on males competing in women’s sports, and gave the state 10 days to comply with the federal directive.
On March 17, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced that several institutions in Maine were in violation of Title IX because they allowed men to play in women’s sports, which the administration considers discriminatory against women.
The institutions found to be in violation included the Maine Department of Education, the Maine Principals’ Association, and Greely High School.
“What HHS is asking of the Maine Department of Education, the Maine Principals’ Association (MPA) and Greely High School is simple — protect female athletes’ rights,” acting Office for Civil Rights Director Anthony Archeval told Fox News.
“Girls deserve girls-only sports without male competitors,” Archeval continued. “And if Maine won’t come to the table to voluntarily comply with Title IX, HHS will enforce Title IX to the fullest extent permitted by the law.”
In its March 17 press release, HHS stated that the entities in violation of Title IX had ten days to “resolve the matter” or “risk referral to the U.S. Department of Justice for appropriate action.”
On March 19, the U.S. Department of Education announced that it also found Maine’s Department of Education to be in violation of Title IX.
Specifically, the Education Department stated that its “investigation of [the Maine Department of Education] confirms that it has violated federal antidiscrimination law by allowing boys to compete in girls’ sports and boys to occupy girls’ intimate facilities.”
Campus Reform previously covered Governor Mills’ incident with President Trump over his executive order, entitled, “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.”
“The governor of Maine,” Trump said after the interaction, “she’s fighting to keep men in women’s sports.”
