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A federal court has ordered the U.S. Department of Agriculture to restore funding to Maine, granting the state鈥檚 request for a temporary restraining order.

The ruling marks Maine鈥檚 first legal victory against federal sanctions imposed over its policies on transgender athletes 鈥� policies the Trump administration argues violate Title IX, the federal law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in education. At issue is Maine鈥檚 decision to allow transgender athletes to participate in girls鈥� sports, which the federal government claims is unlawful under its interpretation of Title IX.

After the USDA earlier this month, Attorney General Aaron Frey on Monday filed a complaint in U.S. District Court seeking to reinstate access to the money this Monday. Four days later, Judge John Woodcock Jr.聽 granted the emergency request, finding that Maine had shown it would suffer 鈥渋rreparable harm鈥� and that the USDA had failed to follow legally required procedures before halting the funding.

In a statement after the ruling, Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey said the order 鈥渃onfirms the Trump Administration did not follow the rule of law when it cut program funds that go to feed school children and vulnerable adults.鈥�

鈥淣o one in our constitutional republic is above the law and we will continue to fight to hold this administration to account,鈥� Frey said.

Unlike other federal agencies that opened civil rights investigations into Maine鈥檚 policies, the USDA acted without launching a formal probe. On April 2, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins that the department was freezing certain federal funds used for school administrative and technological functions. The move was based solely on the department鈥檚 view that Maine was out of compliance with Title IX, according to Rollins鈥� letter.

The U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services had separately found Maine in violation of federal law after short investigations. But the state has pushed back, insisting that its trans-inclusive policies are consistent with both Title IX and legal precedent.

In a to Bradley Burke, regional director of the Education Department鈥檚 Office for Civil Rights, Assistant Attorney General Sarah Forster cited court rulings affirming the rights of transgender athletes.

鈥淣othing in Title IX or its implementing regulations prohibits schools from allowing transgender girls and women to participate on girls鈥� and women鈥檚 sports teams,鈥� she wrote. 鈥淵our letters to date do not cite a single case that so holds.鈥�

Judge Woodcock鈥檚 ruling does not address the substance of the transgender athlete policy. Instead, it focuses solely on the federal government鈥檚 failure to follow due process.

鈥淚n ruling on the State鈥檚 request, the Court is not weighing in on the merits of the controversy about transgender athletes that forms the backdrop of the impasse between the State and the Federal Defendants,鈥� Woodcock wrote. 鈥淭he Federal Defendants froze the appropriated funds without observance of procedure required by law.鈥�

is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Maine Morning Star maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Lauren McCauley for questions: [email protected].

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