U.S. Attorney General Pam BondiPhoto: Getty Images
WASHINGTON, D.C. (WBZ NewsRadio) — The Trump administration sued the state of Maine on Wednesday over its policies regarding transgender athletes in girls' sports.
"The state of Maine is discriminating against women by failing to protect women in women's sports," U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said.
President Donald Trump has pushed to ban transgender athletes from women's sports, but Democratic Governor Janet Mills has refused to take part in that effort. In February, Mills told Trump to his face that she would "see him in court."
Trump has signed multiple executive orders regarding transgender rights. One order declares that the federal government only recognizes two genders, male and female. Another is aimed at ensuring any entity that receives federal funding abides by Title IX as per the White House's interpretation of "sex."
The federal government opened an investigation into the state of Maine just hours after Mills confronted Trump. The U.S. Department of Education said the investigation concluded that Maine had in fact violated federal antidiscrimination law by letting transgender girls compete in girls' sports.
Wednesday's lawsuit seeks a court order to make Maine ban male athletes from girls' sports.
In a statement Wednesday, Mills called the lawsuit "unprecedented."
"This matter has never been about school sports or the protection of women and girls, as has been claimed, it is about states rights and defending the rule of law against a federal government bent on imposing its will, instead of upholding the law," Mills said.
Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey said he is confident the state is acting in accordance with Title IX.
"Title IX is about empowering women and girls by ensuring equal access to, and equal opportunity in educational programs – including, but not limited to, sports – and it has successfully changed the trajectory of the lives of women and girls in ways both big and small," Frey said.