The U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Wednesday that the University of Maine System (UMS) has agreed to comply with President Trump's executive order barring men from women’s sports.
UMS, a network of eight public universities in the state, saw its federal funding stopped while they resisted the order to only allow women into women’s sports. The funding resumed a few days later, and now UMS is complying.
“After the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) initiated a Title IX compliance review regarding federal funding, the University of Maine System (UMaine) has clearly communicated its compliance with Title IX’s requirement to protect equal opportunities for women and girls to compete in safe and fair sports, as articulated in President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order. Any false claim by the UMaine can, and will, result in onerous and even potentially criminal financial liability,” the USDA said.
“The University of Maine System has always maintained its compliance with state and federal laws and with NCAA rules, which the U.S. Department of Agriculture also affirmed in a press release today. We are relieved to put the Department’s Title IX compliance review behind us so the land-grant University of Maine and our statewide partners can continue to leverage USDA and other essential federal funds to strengthen and grow our natural resource economy and dependent rural communities through world-class education, research and extension,” said UMS Chancellor Dannel Malloy.
Maine’s Democrat Governor Janet Mills had told Trump at a meeting of governors at the White House last month, in response to Trump’s warning the state that they would lose federal funding if they didn’t comply with his executive orders barring men from women’s sports, that “[W]e’ll see you in court.” Trump replied that he looked forward to it.
Trump subsequently cut off funding to these UMS universities.
The Office of Civil Rights issued a notice of violation against the Maine Department of Education earlier this month for violating federal regulations regarding Title IX.
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