Maine sues Trump administration in 1st case involving Title IX dispute
Frey's office said funds withheld by the Trump administration are used to feed children in schools, child care centers and after-school programming, as well as disabled adults in congregate settings.
It is the first lawsuit to directly result from the Trump administration's actions targeting Maine over transgender athletes in women's sports that stem from a confrontation between the president and Gov. Janet Mills in February.
"Under the banner of keeping children safe, the Trump administration is illegally withholding grant funds that go to keeping children fed," Frey said in a written statement. "This is just another example where no law or consequence appears to restrain the administration as it seeks capitulation to its lawlessness. The president and his Cabinet secretaries do not make the law and they are not above the law, and this action is necessary to remind the president that Maine will not be bullied into violating the law."
The suit filed in the U.S. District Court of Maine in Bangor comes less than a week after USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins announced that the agency was freezing its funding to Maine for certain "administrative and technological functions in schools." The letter Rollins sent to Mills on Wednesday did not specify how much money has been frozen or what programs it will impact.
Though Rollins' letter said the freeze would not impact programs providing food to children, the Maine Department of Education said Friday that it had lost access to funds for administrative staff overseeing the feeding programs. Critics said even though the USDA is continuing to provide reimbursements for the school meals themselves, the program will struggle to feed children without those workers.
The Maine DOE was "still working to determine the extent" of possible impacts to other funds, including grants supporting its Child and Adult Care Food Program, Farm to School state formula grant, equipment assistance grant and technology funds, spokesperson Chloe Teboe said in an email Monday.
The Trump administration is arguing that Maine policy on transgender athletes violates the federal Title IX law because it violates the rights of women and girls.
"You cannot openly violate federal law against discrimination in education and expect federal funding to continue unabated. Your defiance of federal law has cost your state, which is bound by Title IX in educational programming," Rollins wrote in the letter. "This is only the beginning, though you are free to end it at any time by protecting women and girls in compliance with federal law."
Frey, however, argues that Rollins has not provided any legal basis for her interpretation of Title IX, which would exclude transgender women from women's sports.
"And her interpretation is wrong," Frey said in the complaint. "Indeed, several federal courts have held that Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause require schools to permit transgender girls and women to play on girls' and women's sports."
Frey also said that the USDA failed to adhere to federal rules requiring certain steps to take place before the agency can revoke funds.
"Instead, without any prior notice, investigation, administrative proceeding, or other semblance of legally sufficient process, the secretary simply sent a letter to Maine's governor announcing the freeze," Frey wrote in the complaint.
That procedural failing renders the question of how to interpret Title IX irrelevant in this instance, Frey states. He requested the court vacate Rollins' order and institute a preliminary or permanent injunction to stop the freeze of additional funding.
Frey also requested a temporary restraining order blocking Rollins and the USDA — the defendants named in the suit — from freezing or terminating other federal funds "without complying with the legally required procedures."
Danna Hayes, spokesperson for the Office of the Maine Attorney General, said she did not know when the next steps would take place in the court proceedings. She said that Maine was alone in filing this lawsuit, unlike several previous cases against the Trump administration, in which Maine joined broad coalitions of states.
The USDA did not return requests for comment Monday.
Maine has been the target of multiple federal investigations, many hinging on Title IX, following a public clash between Mills and President Donald Trump at the White House in February.
At the event, Trump called out Mills and demanded she comply with his executive order designed to bar transgender athletes from women's sports. Mills said she would follow the law, to which Trump countered that "We are the federal law."
"See you in court," Mills said.
Maine's allowance of transgender women to compete stems from the Maine Human Rights Act, which has included some form of protections for individuals' gender identity since 2005. The law currently prohibits discrimination in education "and all extracurricular activities" on the basis of one's gender identity.
Staff Writer Riley Board contributed reporting.
Copy the Story Link
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Axios
a few seconds ago
- Axios
GOP leans into Trump administration's Obama accusations
Some Republican lawmakers on Sunday platformed the administration's recent claims that Obama-era officials waged a Russia-related conspiracy against President Trump — but stopped short of endorsing the president's allegations of "treason." The big picture: Trump is again bemoaning a years-long grudge against the widely held conclusion that Russia interfered in the 2016 election, following new accusations from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard of a " treasonous conspiracy" from former President Barack Obama to sabotage Trump's first term. The initial accusations centered around findings from the Obama-era intelligence community that Russia didn't alter vote tallies by hacking election infrastructure. But as Axios' Zachary Basu and Tal Axelrod note, no serious investigation ever claimed Russia changed them. Last week, Gabbard declassified a report from 2020 that she alleges proves the Obama administration "conspired to subvert the will of the American people" and engaged in a "years-long coup against" Trump. In a rare rebuke, a spokesperson for Obama slammed the administration's claims as "a weak attempt at distraction." Driving the news: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) called for an investigation into the matter Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press." "If there is evidence of a crime being committed or suspected evidence of a crime being committed, create a special counsel to look at it," he said. "I think that's the best way to go." Asked by NBC's Kristen Welker whether the new controversy was an attempt to distract from the ongoing fallout from the administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case, Graham argued he was trying to shed light on "something we didn't know before." The other side: Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.), a member of the House Intelligence Committee, slammed Gabbard as a "weapon of mass distraction" on "Fox News Sunday," arguing there was "no new information" released. "It's new to you, but all of this information has been available to the House Intelligence Committee, including in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, when all these investigations and reviews were done under the first Trump administration," Crow said, later adding that no information had been "purposefully hidden." In 2020, a Republican-led Senate panel affirmed the intelligence committee's conclusion that Russia meddled in the election and preferred Trump over Hillary Clinton. Zoom in: But Rep. Rick Crawford (R-Ark.), the chair of the House Intel Committee, slammed what he called the "Russia collusion hoax" in a "Fox News Sunday" interview, describing it as "a fraud perpetrated on the American people at the expense of President Trump." But "with regard to the claims of treason, I'll leave that to the courts to make that determination," he noted. The bottom line: As Trump launches fresh attacks against his predecessors, questions about his administration's handling of the disgraced financier's case are still rippling through Washington. The competing narratives of the ongoing Epstein fallout, over which the president has cried "hoax," and the reinvigorated anger over the Russia investigation are in many ways both rooted in Trump's vision of a "witch hunt" that's plagued his political career, Axios' Basu notes. Trump quickly seized on the Obama storyline, sharing a seemingly AI-generated video of the former president being arrested earlier this month, and more recently, an edited photo of himself pursuing Obama in a car chase.
Boston Globe
a few seconds ago
- Boston Globe
It's a year of rapid change, except when it comes to Trump's approval numbers, AP-NORC polling finds
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Advertisement But even those shifts are within a relatively narrow range, which is typical for Trump. Advertisement Those long-term trends underscore that Trump has many steadfast opponents. But loyal supporters also help explain why views of the president are hard to change even as he pursues policies that most Americans do not support, using an approach that many find abrasive. Trump has not had a traditional honeymoon period in his second term. He did not in his first, either. The recent slippage on immigration is particularly significant because that issue was a major strength for Trump in the 2024 election. Earlier in his second term, it was also one of the few areas where he was outperforming his overall approval. In March, about half of US adults approved of his handling of immigration. But the July AP-NORC poll found his approval on immigration at 43 percent, in line with his overall approval rating. Other recent polls show growing discontent with Trump's approach to immigration. Advertisement 'I understand wanting to get rid of illegal immigrants, but the way that's being done is very aggressive,' said Donovan Baldwin, 18, of Asheboro, N.C., who did not vote in the 2024 election. 'And that's why people are protesting because it comes off as aggression. It's not right.' Ratings of Trump's handling of the economy, which were more positive during his first term, have been persistently negative in his second term. The July poll found that few Americans think Trump's policies have benefited them so far. Even if he is not a fan of everything Trump has done so far, Brian Nichols, 58, of Albuquerque, is giving him the benefit of the doubt. Nichols, who voted for Trump in 2024, likes what he is seeing from the president overall, though he has his concerns both on style and substance, particularly Trump's social media presence and his on-again, off-again tariffs. Nichols also does not like the push to eliminate federal agencies such as the Education Department. Despite his occasional disagreements with Trump, though, Nichols said he wants to give the president space to do his job, and he trusts the House and Senate, now run by Republicans, to act as a safeguard. 'We put him into office for a reason, and we should be trusting that he's doing the job for the best of America,' Nichols said. Trump has spent the past six months pushing far-reaching and often unpopular policies. Earlier this year, Americans were bracing themselves for higher prices as a result of his approach to tariffs. The July poll found that most people think Trump's tax and spending bill will benefit the wealthy, while few think it will pay dividends for the middle class or people like them. Advertisement Discomfort with individual policies may not translate into wholesale changes in views of Trump, though. Those have largely been constant through years of turmoil, with his favorability rating staying within a 10-percentage-point range through the COVID-19 pandemic, a felony conviction, and attempted assassination. To some of his supporters, the benefits of his presidency far outweigh the costs. Kim Schultz, 62, of Springhill, Fla., said she is thrilled with just about everything Trump is doing as president, particularly his aggressive moves to deport anyone living in the country illegally. Even if Trump's tariffs eventually take effect and push prices up, she said she will not be alarmed. 'I've always had the opinion that if the tariffs are going to cost me a little bit more here and there, I don't have a problem with that,' she said. Across the country, Hildenbrand dislikes Trump's personality and his penchant for insults, including those directed at foreign leaders. But he thinks Trump is making things happen. 'More or less, to me, he's showing that he's on the right track,' he said. 'I'm not in favor of Trump's personality, but I am in favor of what he's getting done.'
New York Post
a few seconds ago
- New York Post
Ex-MSNBC host Chris Matthews says ‘country is moving towards Trump' — refuting recent polls
Ex-MSNBC host Chris Matthews contends President Trump is winning over a majority of Americans despite nationwide polls showing his cratering approval ratings. The liberal former 'Hardball' host refuted recent polls from Gallup and CNN that put Trump's approval rating at 37% and 41%, respectively, just above his all-time low after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. 6 Ex-MSNBC host Chris Matthews contends President Trump is winning over a majority of Americans. Charlie Rose/Youtube Advertisement 6 President Donald Trump strikes a gavel after signing a new tax and immigration bill. BONNIE CASH/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock 'To be honest with you, the country is moving towards Trump,' Matthews told journalist Charlie Rose on Saturday. 'These polls, they come out and show him not doing well — I don't buy that. 'His strength is still greater than the Democratic strength. He is a stronger public figure than the Democratic people,' Matthews said. '[Former President Barack] Obama still has tremendous charisma — but Trump has strength. And I think that's what all voters look for,' he said. 'They want a president who is a strong figure. And he's got it. It's just there. And half the country buys it.' Advertisement While Matthews vouched for Trump's popularity, polls show that overall support for the president is waning after six months into his second term. 6 While Matthews vouched for Trump's popularity, polls show that overall support for the president is waning after six months into his second term. AFP via Getty Images 6 'His strength is still greater than the Democratic strength. He is a stronger public figure than the Democratic people,' Matthews said. Charlie Rose/Youtube Advertisement 6 Trump recently bragged about the numbers as a way to show that he remains unfazed by growing scrutiny over his administration's handling of the case involving late sex predator Jeffery Epstein. AP Along with Gallup and CNN, the most recent Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll conducted in July put Trump's approval ratings at just 40%, lower than those of recent presidents during the start of their second terms. But Trump has maintained popular support among his Republican base, with a CNN poll finding that 88% of GOPers still back the president, with Quinnipiac putting that figure as high as 90%, a small uptick from prior surveys. Trump recently bragged about the numbers as a way to show that he remains unfazed by growing scrutiny over his administration's handling of the case involving late sex predator Jeffery Epstein. Advertisement 'My Poll Numbers within the Republican Party, and MAGA, have gone up, significantly, since the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax was exposed by the Radical Left Democrats and, just plain 'troublemakers,'' Trump boasted on Truth Social. 6 President Trump stepping on stage deliver remarks at the Salute to America Celebration at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines on July 3, 2025. AFP via Getty Images Matthews' Saturday's remarks were not the first time the left-leaning politico has backed Trump since leaving MSNBC in 2020. In April, the former host touted the president over his handling of Harvard University after allegations that the Ivy League school allowed antisemitism to run rampant on its campus. Matthews said Trump and his administration were 'smart' to go after the college's grant money, saying it sent the right message to the country amid record-high levels of antisemitism.
