The Daily Wire has learned that Maine’s Department of Education and the Maine Principals’ Association (MPA) are standing by their transgender policies for schools, including athletics — policies which run afoul of executive action from President Donald Trump.
Trump on Thursday said that he’ll be withholding federal funds from Maine following the news of a transgender-identifying boy taking first place in girls’ pole vaulting at Maine’s Class B state championship — a win that helped the high school take first place overall. A day later, the U.S. Department of Education said it has launched Title IX investigations into Maine’s Department of Education.
“I have been in touch with the Department of Education as recently as Friday and have been told there are no anticipated changes in the state’s direction in the near future. As such, we will continue to abide by state law and our local district policies,” MSAD 51 Superintendent Jeff Porter said in an email sent to the district’s parents on Friday.
The superintendent emailed the message to The Daily Wire three days after we reached out to Porter and the district’s athletic director about the controversy.
“First, and foremost, I want to express the district’s unwavering support for all of our students. This support is not based upon any viewpoint, opinion, or identity. This support is unconditional for all students as valued members of our school community,” Porter said in the email sent to parents.
“The Maine Department of Education (MDOE) sent out a memo to districts stating, ‘The Executive Order Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government applies to the federal government/federal government agencies only and does not inhibit the force of Maine law or locally-adopted school board policies,” Porter continued. “Maine schools are expected to abide by the Maine Human Rights Act (MHRA).’”
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“In the case of athletics, the Maine Principals’ Association (MPA), which oversees high school athletic rules statewide, has adopted the MDOE’s position in following state law,” the email read. “There are continued legalities around how this executive order could affect federal funding to school districts, but this issue rests with the state and not local districts. MSAD 51, as with all Maine school districts, will follow the direction of the MDOE and MPA, as required by state law, if/until such time that additional direction is provided.”
The superintendent added that “additional police presence and security will be in place” at the school on Monday “as a precaution, beyond our typical security protocols.”
“Please know this is not in response to any specific threat or information; rather, it is a proactive security measure only,” Porter added.
Trump on Friday challenged Maine’s Democrat Governor Janet Mills for refusing to defend the integrity of girls and women’s sports, asking Mills if she will comply with his executive orders, The Daily Wire reported.
“I’ll comply with state and federal law,” Mills responded.
“We are the federal law,” Trump said. “You better do it. Because you’re not going to get any federal funding at all if you don’t. And by the way, your population, even though it is somewhat liberal — although I did very well there — your population doesn’t want men playing in women’s sports. You better comply because otherwise you’re not getting any federal funding.”
The pair agreed they’d see each other “in court.”
“I’ll see you in court,” the president told Mills. “I look forward to that, that should be a real easy one. And enjoy your life after governor, because I don’t think you’ll be in elected politics.”
The U.S. Department of Education launched Title IX investigations into Maine’s policies, a press release said Friday.
“Today the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) sent a letter to the Maine Department of Education Commissioner Pender Makin announcing that OCR is initiating a directed investigation of the Maine Department of Education (MDOE) amid allegations that it continues to allow male athletes to compete in girls’ interscholastic athletics and that it has denied female athletes female-only intimate facilities, thereby violating federal antidiscrimination law,” the USDOE said, Fox News reported.
Related: Trump Spars With Maine’s Dem Governor Over Men In Women’s Sports At White House
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The Daily Wire has learned that Maine’s Department of Education and the Maine Principals’ Association (MPA) are standing by their transgender policies for schools, including athletics — policies which run afoul of executive action from President Donald Trump.
Trump on Thursday said that he’ll be withholding federal funds from Maine following the news of a transgender-identifying boy taking first place in girls’ pole vaulting at Maine’s Class B state championship — a win that helped the high school take first place overall. A day later, the U.S. Department of Education said it has launched Title IX investigations into Maine’s Department of Education.
“I have been in touch with the Department of Education as recently as Friday and have been told there are no anticipated changes in the state’s direction in the near future. As such, we will continue to abide by state law and our local district policies,” MSAD 51 Superintendent Jeff Porter said in an email sent to the district’s parents on Friday.
The superintendent emailed the message to The Daily Wire three days after we reached out to Porter and the district’s athletic director about the controversy.
“First, and foremost, I want to express the district’s unwavering support for all of our students. This support is not based upon any viewpoint, opinion, or identity. This support is unconditional for all students as valued members of our school community,” Porter said in the email sent to parents.
“The Maine Department of Education (MDOE) sent out a memo to districts stating, ‘The Executive Order Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government applies to the federal government/federal government agencies only and does not inhibit the force of Maine law or locally-adopted school board policies,” Porter continued. “Maine schools are expected to abide by the Maine Human Rights Act (MHRA).’”
PRESIDENTS’ DAY SALE! 40% Off DailyWire+ Annual Memberships With Code DW40
“In the case of athletics, the Maine Principals’ Association (MPA), which oversees high school athletic rules statewide, has adopted the MDOE’s position in following state law,” the email read. “There are continued legalities around how this executive order could affect federal funding to school districts, but this issue rests with the state and not local districts. MSAD 51, as with all Maine school districts, will follow the direction of the MDOE and MPA, as required by state law, if/until such time that additional direction is provided.”
The superintendent added that “additional police presence and security will be in place” at the school on Monday “as a precaution, beyond our typical security protocols.”
“Please know this is not in response to any specific threat or information; rather, it is a proactive security measure only,” Porter added.
Trump on Friday challenged Maine’s Democrat Governor Janet Mills for refusing to defend the integrity of girls and women’s sports, asking Mills if she will comply with his executive orders, The Daily Wire reported.
“I’ll comply with state and federal law,” Mills responded.
“We are the federal law,” Trump said. “You better do it. Because you’re not going to get any federal funding at all if you don’t. And by the way, your population, even though it is somewhat liberal — although I did very well there — your population doesn’t want men playing in women’s sports. You better comply because otherwise you’re not getting any federal funding.”
The pair agreed they’d see each other “in court.”
“I’ll see you in court,” the president told Mills. “I look forward to that, that should be a real easy one. And enjoy your life after governor, because I don’t think you’ll be in elected politics.”
The U.S. Department of Education launched Title IX investigations into Maine’s policies, a press release said Friday.
“Today the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) sent a letter to the Maine Department of Education Commissioner Pender Makin announcing that OCR is initiating a directed investigation of the Maine Department of Education (MDOE) amid allegations that it continues to allow male athletes to compete in girls’ interscholastic athletics and that it has denied female athletes female-only intimate facilities, thereby violating federal antidiscrimination law,” the USDOE said, Fox News reported.
Related: Trump Spars With Maine’s Dem Governor Over Men In Women’s Sports At White House
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