Attorney General Pam Bondi announces a lawsuit against Maine's Department of Education over the inclusion of transgender athletes in women's sports.
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00:00Good morning.
00:27Good morning.
00:30With me here today, I have our great Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, Representative
00:38Laurel Libby of the Maine State House, Linnea Saltz of IWF Women's Sports Advocate, Stephanie
00:48Turner, a fencer, Zoe Hutchison, a Maine athlete, Cassidy Carlisle, a Maine athlete, and my
00:55dear friend, you all know Riley Gaines, who has been a champion on this issue for women.
01:01Today, the Department of Justice is announcing a civil lawsuit against the Maine Department
01:09of Education.
01:10The state of Maine is discriminating against women by failing to protect women in women's
01:18sports.
01:19Pretty basic stuff.
01:20This is a violation of Title IX.
01:23The Department of Justice will not sit by when women are discriminated against in sports.
01:31This is about sports.
01:32This is also about these young women's personal safety.
01:36I met many of these women throughout the past weeks and months.
01:41And what they have been through is horrific.
01:43We have exhausted every other remedy.
01:51We tried to get Maine to comply.
01:54We don't like standing up here and filing lawsuits.
01:56We want to get states to comply with us.
02:00That's what this is about.
02:01We have repeatedly notified Maine of its infractions and urged them to remedy the situation to protect
02:09women.
02:10We've stripped grants from Maine through other departments.
02:16And we are going to continue to fight for women.
02:21Let me give you some examples.
02:23Let me give you a timeline.
02:24This timeline, I think, is pretty important.
02:26So in February 2024, these are just a few examples.
02:33A biological boy started competing in women's ski races and cross-country races in Maine.
02:40He came in first in the 5K with a time that would have been 43rd among men.
02:49In February 2025, a biological boy won first place in the pole vaulting competition in Maine's
02:58indoor track and field meet.
03:00He beat every other girl by a significant margin.
03:05That qualified him for regional championships.
03:08That took a spot away from a young woman in women's sports.
03:13Shame on him.
03:17February 21st, 2025.
03:20President Trump has the governors at the White House.
03:23President Trump has the exchange with Janet Mills.
03:27He asked her about the issue.
03:29Her response?
03:30We'll see you in court.
03:32Well, we still didn't sue.
03:34HHS and the Department of Ed opened investigations in an attempt to get them to comply.
03:43They both found violations.
03:48And in March, Maine refused to comply.
03:55I want to read you this letter.
04:02This is from the Maine Attorney General to the Department of Education.
04:12We will not sign the resolution agreement.
04:16We do not have revisions or a counterproposal.
04:19We agree we are at an impasse.
04:22Nothing in Title IX or its implementing regulations prohibits schools from allowing transgender girls and women to participate on girls and women's sports teams.
04:37Well, they must not be reading the same Title IX that we're reading.
04:44We believe they are failing to protect women.
04:47And it's not only an issue in sports.
04:50It is a public safety issue.
04:52These boys are allowed to go in women's restrooms.
04:57They are allowed to go in the women's dressing rooms and get fully naked and change in biological boys and change clothes in front of these young women.
05:10Maine's leadership has refused to comply at every turn.
05:14So now we have no other choice.
05:17We are taking them to court.
05:23What we are seeking, we are seeking an injunction to get them to stop this, stop what they're doing.
05:31That's pretty simple.
05:34And we are seeking to have the titles returned to the young women who rightfully won these sports.
05:44And we are also considering whether to retroactively pull all the funding that they have received for not complying in the past.
05:55And I am so proud of these brave young women standing behind me.
06:00I see lots of parents in the front, too, and I've met you.
06:04Thank you to the parents for supporting your daughters and telling them it's okay to fight back and stand up for what they believe in.
06:13Some of these young women have endured vicious injuries, too, as a result of boys playing in their sports.
06:21It's my honor now to introduce to you our Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon.
06:34Good morning, everyone.
06:35I don't think our case could have been stated any better than it was just presented by our Attorney General, Pam Bondi.
06:43And I thank you very much for your participation this morning.
06:47And I will echo Attorney General's comments about how brave these women are, these young women.
06:53And, of course, Riley Gaines has been a staunch advocate for the Title IX infractions, you know, since she came on board.
07:03And we're so proud to have Riley out there as such a prominent spokesperson.
07:07So, today we're announcing a weighty development in the Title IX investigation into the Maine Department of Education.
07:14We analyzed, we, the Department of Education, analyzed Maine's Education Department for compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972,
07:25which prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or education program that receives federal funding.
07:33Unfortunately, our investigation has found that Maine continues to willfully violate Title IX and to strip the civil rights of female athletes in the state.
07:45And as Pam alluded as well, it's not just about their civil rights.
07:51It's about their safety.
07:53And we, after our investigation, we found we really had no other choice.
08:00We thought the infractions warranted turning them over to the Justice Department for their further investigation.
08:07So, how do we get here?
08:09On February 5th, President Trump signed the Executive Order Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports,
08:15which directed all states and educational programs receiving federal funds to cease the practice of allowing males to compete in sports programs for women.
08:27They didn't make this up.
08:29This is the law.
08:30This is Title IX.
08:32This executive order was aimed at protecting women like fencer Stephanie Turner or volleyball player Peyton McNabb from being injured and unfairly outmatched by male athletes.
08:45President Trump didn't pull any punches.
08:48He explicitly warned Maine and Governor Janet Mills that Maine would risk losing federal funding if it continued to allow males to participate in women's sports.
08:59Governor Mills chose to openly flout Title IX compliance, telling President Trump, and I'll repeat what the general said, we'll see you in court, and obviously we are going to.
09:10That same day, our Office for Civil Rights opened an investigation into the Maine Department of Education and Maine School Administrative District No. 51 for permitting males and girls sports and denying female-only intimate facilities.
09:27The department's investigation confirmed Maine's Title IX violations, and we offered Maine leaders multiple opportunities to change their policy and to protect women in sports, and they have refused.
09:40So now as the DOJ begins their enforcement actions, I hope Governor Mills will recognize that her political feud with the president will deprive the students in her state of much more than the right to fair sporting events.
09:56After all, compliance with federal civil rights law is a universal prerequisite for receiving federal funding.
10:05The Trump administration could not be any clearer to all states, sports leagues, and educational institutions.
10:12We take the violations of women's civil rights very seriously.
10:19I have three granddaughters, and I want to make sure that they are treated fairly and that they aren't exposed, you know, in dressing rooms.
10:27We want to make sure that if you open women's sports or intimate facilities to males, you expose yourself to federal civil rights investigations.
10:40Governor Mills will definitely get her wish.
10:43We thank you all for being here this morning.
10:46Look forward to seeing you later.
10:48Thank you, Secretary.
10:49I'd now like to introduce to you State Rep. Laurel Libby from Maine, who has been a champion for these young women in the state of Maine.
11:03And thank you, Representative.
11:05Thank you, Attorney General Bondi.
11:08It's unfortunate that we have to be here today because Governor Mills and Legislative Democrats, along with the Maine Principals Association,
11:15continue to persist in discriminating against Maine women and girls.
11:20They are out of alignment with two-thirds of Mainers who believe that biological males have no place in girls' sports.
11:27Earlier this week, MSAD 70 school board voted unanimously to align with Title IX.
11:35They are in alignment with two-thirds of my fellow Mainers.
11:38And I would encourage other school boards throughout Maine, I would exhort you to speak up for Maine girls,
11:44similarly, and vote to align with Title IX.
11:49I thank you to the Trump administration and A.G. Bondi for taking action on behalf of our girls
11:55and helping to ensure a safe, fair, and level playing field in Maine.
12:05You know, President Trump, before he was elected, this has been a huge issue for him.
12:11Pretty simple.
12:13Girls playing girls' sports.
12:15Boys playing boys' sports.
12:17Men playing men's sports.
12:18Women playing women's sports.
12:20And he got to know a great young woman during that time named Riley Gaines.
12:25And we are all so proud and honored to have her here with us.
12:28Riley has been a champion nationally for this issue.
12:33Riley, please join us.
12:37Well, goodness gracious, it's an honor to be here, to stand beside, of course, Secretary McMahon,
12:43Attorney General Bondi, these amazingly brave athletes, Representative Libby.
12:49But truthfully, I'm frustrated.
12:52I'm frustrated that we have to be here, that we as women have to stand before you all on national television,
12:59demanding equal opportunities, demanding privacy in areas of undressing, demanding safety in our sports.
13:07Amazing to me that we are still here fighting this fight, that the Democratic Party has really doubled down, tripled down, quadrupled down on their ridiculous stance.
13:20But that's exactly what they've done.
13:22Let me tell you what sports has done in my life.
13:27Of course, in terms of athletic achievement, I very proudly finished my career as a 12-time NCAA All-American, a five-time SEC champion,
13:35actually the SEC record holder in the 200 butterfly, making me one of the fastest Americans of all time,
13:41a two-time Olympic trial qualifier, SEC scholar athlete of the year, SEC community service leader of the year.
13:47The list goes on, but again, just to really reiterate, it's a lifelong journey.
13:52It's how I met my husband.
13:53It's what gave me my lifelong friends.
13:56It taught me how to be a leader.
13:58It taught me how to set goals and work to achieve those goals.
14:01All things that, of course, I'm utilizing in my life now beyond sports, that leadership in Maine,
14:08Governor Mills, Democratic leadership really across the nation, that's what they're denying girls and women of.
14:15I'm sure you guys saw the clips and the visuals that surface following President Trump's executive order signing of this EO,
14:25barring men from participating in women's sports within any educational program that receives federal funding.
14:31And it was the most amazing thing to be there.
14:34And you have all of these young girls.
14:36I'm talking five, six, seven, eight years old.
14:38They've got their jerseys on, their sports uniforms, their big bows in their hair that they wear on the soccer field.
14:44That visual means more to me than I could possibly put into words.
14:49And that is what it is at stake here.
14:52That is who Governor Mills is fighting, not Donald Trump.
14:55It's those little girls.
14:57And I believe that's that's sick.
14:59It's regressive is what it is.
15:01They do this under the guise of progress, indicating we are moving in the positive forward direction.
15:07Know what Governor Mills is doing.
15:09And again, Democratic governors across the nation is deeply regressive and utterly misogynistic.
15:16Over the past three years, I've had the opportunity to speak to countless girls in Maine and again across the country, countless parents, coaches who all virtually say the same thing.
15:28Why wouldn't anyone protect my athlete?
15:31Why wouldn't anyone protect my daughter?
15:33Why wouldn't anyone protect me?
15:35I've talked to girls who have lost roster spots, of course, podium finishes.
15:40I've talked to girls who have been exploited and simultaneously exposed to naked men and intimate areas of undressing.
15:48I've talked to girls who have been severely injured in their sports due to a male player on the opposing team.
15:54For crying out loud, we have a female representative from Maine, Laura Libby.
15:58You just heard from her.
15:59She didn't tell you what happened to her.
16:01She lost her ability to vote and to speak on the House floor for defending girls and women for posting about what was happening in Maine.
16:09No, this type of oppression didn't happen in Afghanistan.
16:13No, this type of censorship didn't happen in England.
16:16It happened right here in America under Democratic leadership.
16:21Again, this isn't progress.
16:24I would describe this as betrayal.
16:27Let this be a notice.
16:29These actions that we have seen put forward today by the Department of Justice, by the Department of Education to all other states who are not willing to comply.
16:38With federal law, that federal law being Title IX, which is very clear and how it was originally implemented, or at least it should be.
16:47We never knew we had to define this word sex until these both elected and unelected bureaucrats started to go through the back door and reinterpret this word to mean what they want it to mean.
16:57Originally implemented in 1972 is only 37 words, very brief, ultimately, of course, preventing sex based discrimination.
17:07Let this be a notice.
17:08California, Minnesota, the likes thereof.
17:12If you do not comply with federal law, you do not get to reap the benefits of complying with federal law.
17:19Of course, one of those benefits being receiving federal funds.
17:23Women are protected and recognized under federal law.
17:28Again, that law being Title IX.
17:30The U.S. government under President Trump, including the Department of Justice, including the Department of Education, will not stand by and ignore when the federally protected rights of women and girls are being violated.
17:44Again, that encounter between Governor Mills and President Trump went viral for really all of the right reasons.
17:51I think she thought she had this mic drop moment when she said, I'll see you in court.
17:56Guess what?
17:57You will because President Trump is a man of his promises that that was his campaign slogan.
18:02That's what we've seen delivered promises made promises kept.
18:06This is another one.
18:07One people, the American people, girls, women, boys, men, old, young, white, black, gay, straight.
18:16None of those identity factors matter.
18:17We want transparency and we want accountability.
18:20Again, we voted overwhelmingly in favor of that on November 5th and accountability is back in the White House.
18:28So I stand before you all today.
18:33And I thank you again, Secretary McMahon, Attorney General Bondi.
18:38I thank you on behalf of, of course, myself.
18:42But I think more importantly, my younger sister of all the women and girls who have dreams like I did when I was young to achieve, to succeed in my sport and beyond.
18:55So thank you.
19:00Riley, thank you.
19:01And Zoe would now like to say something.
19:04Tell us about your sport too, Zoe.
19:06So I compete in soccer and indoor track and outdoor track.
19:10And like was mentioned previously today, I had to watch at the main class B state indoor track championship as my close friend and my teammate and other female competitors lost the state championship to a biological male.
19:25And this was heartbreaking for me to have to watch.
19:28And Riley said that it's betrayal.
19:31And that's what it is.
19:32It is the job of our elected officials to protect our young female athletes.
19:37And they have failed to do that.
19:39You know, we walk into and into sports expecting to have a level playing field and and to walk into the state championship to see a biological male there and to lose to a biological male.
19:52That's betrayal.
19:53And so I am extremely grateful to A.G. Bondi for standing up for us when our elected officials aren't doing that.
20:01And on behalf of of the the girl athletes in Maine, I just want to say thank you all.
20:08And I look forward to having a level playing field back after this fight.
20:14So thank you.
20:15And Cassidy wants to say a few words.
20:21My first experience was when I was 13 years old.
20:25I was going to change for gym and I walked into the locker room and there was a biological male there.
20:31From that point on my junior year, I competed in Nordic skiing and lost to a biological male numerous of times.
20:39I am fighting this fight for generations to come.
20:44And the fact that our governor can look the women of our state in the eyes and say, I'm not going to fight for you is heartbreaking.
20:51And it's betrayal.
20:52Like Riley said, I just want to thank all these women standing behind me and President Trump for fighting for us, because even though my own governor isn't fighting for me, I know there are people out there fighting for me.
21:05It takes a lot for these young women to be standing up here saying this, too.
21:12And again, I'm looking at their amazing parents in the front row who have supported them, who I've gotten to know, who are protecting them every step of the way and telling them that they have a voice to stand up for themselves and future generations of young women to come and many athletes.
21:31Gates, should we take some questions?
21:35Questions?
21:36Mary Margaret.
21:37Thank you, Attorney General Bondi.
21:40I wanted to ask if there's other states that you're focused on.
21:42Which ones are next for these types of abuses, including men and women's prisons?
21:46Well, first we're looking at for for this, we're looking at Minnesota.
21:51We're looking at California.
21:52We're looking at many, many states, but they are the top two that should be on notice because we've been communicating with them.
21:59And just like Maine, we're not going out there.
22:01We don't we don't want to be suing people.
22:03We want them to comply with the law.
22:05And that's what we're doing.
22:07We have given them opportunity, Maine, an opportunity over and over again.
22:12The Department of Education, HHS, they went and sat down with them in person, multiple meetings and got nowhere.
22:18So now this is where we are because they refuse to protect young women in their state.
22:24So, yes, Minnesota, California, multiple states.
22:27As far as prisons, had nothing to do with Title IX.
22:31We we took away funding from Maine as well.
22:34We decided to go a different direction in our grants because we saw one reason.
22:39They allowed a six foot one, two hundred and forty five giant man who had violently no murders.
22:46Nice.
22:47But he had violently murdered his parents with a knife and the family dog serving life in prison.
22:53And he chose to identify as a woman.
22:55So guess where he's being housed in a female prison in Maine.
22:59So therefore, my office, we don't want to give any more money to the Department of Corrections in Maine if that's how they're going to act.
23:06We're going a different direction in our funding.
23:11Sadie with the Journal.
23:13Hi there.
23:14So Maine Governor yesterday said there were maybe at most two trans athletes in Maine schools right now.
23:20I just was hoping you could talk a little bit about the sort of amount of federal resources that you're putting into this and why that's worth it given the small impact in Maine.
23:29And I have a second off topic question, too.
23:33Given that it has some of the same elements as the fire bombings of Tesla dealerships that you've charged federally and called domestic terrorism.
23:40I'm wondering if you would say the arson at Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's house would also be domestic terrorism and something you would investigate federally.
23:49And if not, what constitutes domestic terrorism?
23:52OK, so first, the on topic question about the I haven't heard Janet Mills comment.
23:59Governor Mills said it's only a couple trans athletes.
24:03Well, I think those are boys who identify as girls wanting to beat girls in girls sports.
24:08Well, if one young woman is in jeopardy, one, that's enough for us to be standing up here.
24:15One, no boy will be undressing in a girl's locker room.
24:20No boy will be walking in a woman's restroom.
24:23And no boy, when we're finished with this, will be beating young girls in sports.
24:29These young women have many of them have trained what since you were in elementary school for your sport.
24:34Riley, when did you start swimming?
24:36Four years old.
24:37They have trained their entire lives.
24:40Some of them have lost scholarships.
24:42They have lost regionals.
24:44They have lost state because of boys.
24:46I don't care if it's one.
24:47I don't care if it's two.
24:48I don't care if it's 100.
24:49It's going to stop and it's going to stop in every single state.
24:53Tesla, you ask about.
24:56Yes, Tesla, you ask about.
24:58So I spoke to Governor Shapiro.
25:00I think you're referring to his governor's mansion.
25:02I spoke to him.
25:03It is absolutely horrific what happened to him.
25:07Kash Patel also spoke to him.
25:09We have been praying for Josh for his family.
25:12Those photos.
25:13It was horrible.
25:14I firmly believe that they wanted to kill him.
25:17The defendant allegedly said he was going to use a hammer if he could have gotten to the governor.
25:22I've known the governor many, many years.
25:24It is horrible.
25:25And yes, we are working with state authorities to do.
25:28It's now a pending investigation.
25:29Anything we can to help convict the person that did this and keep them behind bars as long as possible.
25:38David.
25:39Two questions, one on topic and one off topic.
25:43I'll start with the on topic.
25:45Minnesota and California, you mentioned you're looking at them.
25:49Are there active investigations into those states?
25:52Are there conversations in which state do you expect to be next based on those conversations?
25:59Both.
26:00We have.
26:01We have been.
26:02We have reached out to them.
26:03We have sent them letters.
26:04We're in the same posture we were in the beginning here with Maine.
26:07So let's see what they do.
26:08Let's hope they comply again.
26:10We don't want to sue anyone.
26:13We just want you to comply with federal law and protect girls, period.
26:18But yes, we are fully prepared to sue them and others that we will be looking at as well.
26:23And then my off topic, big topic over the past few weeks, Kilmar Abrego Garcia in Maryland.
26:29He's in a prison now in El Salvador.
26:31He was sent there.
26:33You insist, the president, everybody in the administration insists that he is MS-13.
26:38It appears that there's not going to be any sort of trial.
26:41He's not going to come back.
26:42DHS said he would be arrested and re-deported if he comes back.
26:45Why not show the American people the evidence that he's MS-13 so they can make an informed
26:51decision?
26:52And that goes the same with this Henry Josue Santos, who was picked up in Virginia, who
26:57is now presumably going to be deported as well.
26:59Why not show the public the evidence?
27:01Well, he is an illegal alien who has been living illegally in our country from El Salvador.
27:10ICE testified.
27:12An immigration judge ruled he was a member of MS-13.
27:18An appellate judge ruled he was a member of MS-13.
27:23Hard stop.
27:24He should not be in our country.
27:26He was deported.
27:27They needed one additional step in paperwork.
27:30But now MS-13 is characterized, as they should be, as an FTO, as a foreign terrorist organization.
27:36So he is not coming back to our country.
27:39President Bukele said he was not sending him back.
27:43That's the end of the story.
27:44If he wanted to send him back, we would give him a plane ride back.
27:48There was no situation ever where he was going to stay in this country.
27:53None.
27:54None.
27:55He would have come back, had one extra step of paperwork and gone back again.
27:58But he's from El Salvador.
28:00He's in El Salvador.
28:01And that's where the president plans on keeping him.
28:03The evidence.
28:04We're not going to see the evidence.
28:06We have the transcripts from the court hearings.
28:09I'll be glad to give you the court hearings from 2019, what we have.
28:13Sure.
28:14With the rulings from the judges, gladly.
28:17All right.
28:18Last one.
28:19Reagan.
28:20Reagan Reese, Daily Caller.
28:21Madam Attorney General, there's a Maine School Board, MSAD No. 70, which voted unanimously
28:27on Monday to defy the governor and to comply with Title IX.
28:32With the action you're taking today, will it be possible to exempt schools that comply
28:37from any future punishment?
28:39Yes.
28:40And I think that was very brave and bold of that school board.
28:44We just saw that as well.
28:46The question was was one school board in Maine voted to comply.
28:51And again, that's all we wanted was compliance.
28:53So, yes, we will not be going after them, looking at them in this lawsuit because they
28:59are complying and they're protecting women in women's sports.