The University of Maine’s system said on Friday that it was found that it was in accordance with federal and state laws, as well as NCAA rules that were modified following the executive decree of President Donald Trump to prohibit transgender women and girls from competing female sports.
Confirmation came after the Trump administration had previously declared that a The investigation had found Maine’s education department Viole title IXwhich prohibits sex -based discrimination in educational programs that receive federal funding, and that the The Ministry of Agriculture would be suspendING FelegantErral Fund to The University of Maine’s system while investigating the potential violations of title IX.
“We are relieved to put the compliance review to title IX of the Department behind us so that the University of Lands of Maine and our partners on a state scale can continue to take advantage of the USDA and other essential federal funds to strengthen and develop our economy of natural resources and dependent rural communities thanks to education, research and extension,” said Dannel Malloy, the System Chancellor, News.
During the year 2024, the UMS, which includes seven universities across the State, received nearly $ 30 million in USDA funding, according to the school system.
The UMS declaration followed an announcement of the USDA on Wednesday that the university system “clearly communicated its compliance with the requirements of the title IX to protect equal opportunities for women and girls to compete with safe and fair sports, as are articulated in the executive order of President Donald J. Trump.”
Trump Transgender sports orderThat he signed last month, prohibits trans women and girls from participating in female sports and declares that the federal government will cancel the funds of educational programs that do not comply. The order, which refers to trans women as men, says that having transmian women in female sports “is degrading, unfair and dangerous for women and girls, and denies women and girls the equal opportunities to participate and excel in competition sports.”
USDA pause temporarily The funding of the UMS, the system said in a press release on March 11. In an e-mail, the USDA office of the financial director said that it evaluated “if he had to take follow-up actions related to the potential violations of title VI or title IX”, according to the press release.
“The USDA is determined to maintain the president’s decree, which means that any institution that chooses to ignore that it can count on the loss of future financing,” said US Secretary for Agriculture last month, Brooke Rollins, according to last month, according to to a press release.
Samantha Warren, head of external and government affairs in UMS, said that Maine’s public universities have always been in line with state and federal laws and NCAA rules, and that the system “has been in conformity when the NCAA has updated its rules in February”.
In 2022, the NCAA adopted a Sport sports approach For transgender athletes, postponement to policies established by the national director of each sport, subject to examination and recommendation by an NCAA committee. Last month, following Trump’s decree, the College Sports Association updated its policy to limit “competition in women’s sports to students assigned to birth only”.
Correction (March 24, 2025, 9:10 HE): A previous version of this article was disturbed, the institution of Maine of which was tried in violation of title IX. It was the Ministry of Education of Maine, not the system of the University of Maine.