HHS finds Maine guilty of Title IX violations for letting males play in girls' sports

The Department of Health and Human Services determined the Maine Department of Education, Maine Principals’ Association and Greely High School each violated Title IX by letting males play in girls' sports on the basis of gender identity, HHS said Monday.

The investigations are less than a month old, prompted in part by the MPA flatly refusing to follow President Trump's gender identity and sports executive order and Trump's heated exchange with Democratic Gov. Janet Mills on whether Maine will comply.

HHS's Office for Civil Rights said it sent each entity a determination letter that "offers them an opportunity to voluntarily commit within 10 days to resolve the matter through a signed agreement or risk referral to the U.S. Department of Justice for appropriate action." It did not post the letters.

"The Maine Department of Education may not shirk its obligations under Federal law by ceding control of its extracurricular activities, programs, and services to the Maine Principals’ Association,” acting OCR Director Anthony Archeval wrote in a press release.

The subhead on the press release says the conclusion "foreshadows enforcement in federal court" but HHS didn't elaborate. The department's press email, posted in Monday's press release, now claims it's an unmonitored inbox and directs media to fill out a comment form.

HHS did not immediately respond to a query by Just the News seeking the enforcement letters and its elaboration on how the action "foreshadows enforcement in federal court."