USDA freezes federal funds to Maine schools amid trans sports battle: ‘Only the beginning’

April 4, 2025

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has paused funding to some educational programs in Maine as the Trump administration takes action against the state disregarding the president’s executive order banning men from women’s sports.

The Christian Post reports that Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins sent a letter to Democratic Maine Governor Janet Mills, advising her of the freeze in funding “for certain administrative and technological functions in schools.”

Rollins’ letter also explained that the pause in funding would not affect federal feeding programs or direct assistance.

The letter warned Mills that she “cannot openly violate federal law against discrimination in education and expect federal funding to continue unabated,” advising her that “defiance of federal law has cost your state, which is bound by Title IX in educational programming.”

Rollins added, “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.”

Mills was informed that if the state of Maine wishes to continue to receive federal funding, it must “demonstrate compliance with Title IX which protects female student athletes from having to compete with or against or having to appear unclothed before males.”

President Trump signed an executive order titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” on February 5.

The order directs federal agencies: “to rescind all funds from educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities, which results in the endangerment, humiliation, and silencing of women and girls and deprives them of privacy.”

Gov. Mills has pushed back against the executive order with a statement saying Maine “will not be intimidated by the President’s threats” to pull federal funding.

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