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U.S. Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon addressed a Fox News Digital report that the Maine education commissioner undermined President Donald Trump's executive orders in emails to schools. 

McMahon shared the report in a post on X Tuesday, referencing the Trump administration's lawsuit against the state for defying Title IX. 

"Deliberately defying federal law is exactly why [the Department of Education] found Maine in violation of Title IX- and why DOJ is continuing its lawsuit against the state. If you ignore federal law, there will be consequences," McMahon wrote.

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Emails obtained by Fox News Digital show Maine Department of Education Commissioner Pender Makin drafted multiple memos for schools that suggested the schools follow Maine state law and not comply with Trump's January executive orders that addressed public education. 

"Last week, we advised schools to adhere to the Maine Human Rights Act and your local school board policies related to nondiscrimination. We encourage you to continue to keep all people safe and we reiterate the fact that, at present, neither our state law nor your local policies are diminished by the executive orders directing action at the federal level, one memo read, as seen in a Jan. 28 email, which was provided to Fox News Digital by the group Defending Education.  

"Most of the executive orders pertain to federal agencies and federal laws over which Maine DOE has no authority."

Makin corresponded with Maine Assistant Attorney General Sarah Forster, with a draft of a memo to schools. The memo included orders to avoid complying with Trump's "Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling," executive order, in a Jan. 30 email. 

"… this EO changes nothing for Maine schools," part of an email discussing the memo wrote. The memo draft said "Maine schools should continue to follow the laws of our state and the provisions within their local policies."

MAINE TEENS BATTLING STATE DEMOCRATS ON GIRLS' SPORTS BILL AFTER ENDURING TRANS ATHLETE CHAOS IN HIGH SCHOOL

Then, in a Jan. 31 email, Makin drafted another memo to superintendents and school leaders addressing the executive order. 

"The Executive Order does not alter the obligations of schools under state law, including the Maine Human Rights Act, and does not require any immediate changes to locally adopted school board policies," the memo read.

Maine state representative Laurel Libby addressed the report in an interview with "Fox & Friends" on Tuesday morning. 

"I'm not surprised at all," Libby said, later adding, "It’s a woke agenda with which most Mainers don’t agree. They don’t agree that biological males should be participating in girls' sports. They don’t agree that the focus should be on DEI and social emotional learning."

Maine and Governor Janet Mills have been in a feud with Trump's administration since February after the state became one of the first to openly defy Trump's "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" executive order. The defiance resulted in a trans athlete winning a girls pole vault competition in February, and then an in-person verbal spat between Trump and Mills at a Feb. 21 White House meeting of governors. 

The U.S. Department of Justice has launched a lawsuit against Mills and the state for defying Title IX, which is set to go to trial in January 2026.

A survey by the American Parents Coalition found that out of about 600 registered Maine voters, 63% said school sports participation should be based on biological sex, and 66% agreed it is "only fair to restrict women’s sports to biological women."

The poll also found that 60% of residents would support a ballot measure limiting participation in women’s and girls sports to biological females. This included 64% of independents and 66% of parents with children under age 18.

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EXCLUSIVE: Emails provided to Fox News Digital show Maine Department of Education Commissioner Pender Makin writing memos for all the state's school districts after President Donald Trump began to make executive orders addressing public education. 

The opening months of Trump's second term saw a highly publicized feud with Maine Gov. Janet Mills over the issue of trans athletes in girls' sports. 

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"Dear Champions of Education, as executive orders continue to flow out of DC, there is increasing misinformation, disinformation, and confusion impacting our schools," read Makin's draft of a memo for all the state's superintendents, in a Jan. 28 email, which was provided to Fox News Digital by the group Defending Education.  

"Last week, we advised schools to adhere to the Maine Human Rights Act and your local school board policies related to nondiscrimination. We encourage you to continue to keep all people safe and we reiterate the fact that, at present, neither our state law nor your local policies are diminished by the executive orders directing action at the federal level."

It continued, "Most of the executive orders pertain to federal agencies and federal laws over which Maine DOE has no authority."

Two days later, Makin corresponded with Maine Assistant Attorney General Sarah Forster, with a draft of a memo to schools. The memo included orders to avoid complying with Trump's "Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling," executive order. 

"… this EO changes nothing for Maine schools," part of an email discussing the memo wrote. The memo draft said "Maine schools should continue to follow the laws of our state and the provisions within their local policies." 

In Makin's email, she suggested cutting paragraphs from the memo that summarized the actual goals of the executive order out of the memo. 

Then, in a Jan. 31 email, Makin drafted another memo to superintendents and school leaders addressing the executive order. 

"The Executive Order does not alter the obligations of schools under state law, including the Maine Human Rights Act, and does not require any immediate changes to locally adopted school board policies," the memo read.

By defying Trump's "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" executive order after it was signed on Feb. 5, the state allowed its winter girls' track and field season to conclude with an infamous podium finish. 

A transgender athlete from Greely High school won first place in the girls' pole vault state championship on Feb. 17.

"I watched this male pole vaulter stand on the podium and we were all just like looking we were like ‘We’re pretty sure that's not a girl. There's no way that's a girl,'" Presque Isle High School girls' track athlete Hailey Himes previously told Fox News Digital. "It was really discouraging, especially for the girls on the podium not in first place. So that motivated me to fight for them." 

The incident quickly thrust the state into the national spotlight over the issue. A Feb. 19 email, which was sent between two members of the Maine Principal's Association (MPA), whose names were redacted upon request of public records, made mention of another order that was sent from Makin's department to all Maine schools. 

"The MPA is following the Maine Department of Education's priority notice that was sent out on Jan. 21st, 2025, instructing all schools in Maine to follow the Maine Human Rights Act," the email, which had the subject line "TITLE IX," read. The same message was circulated in another email between state education officials, whose identities were redacted upon a public records request, in early March. 

Trump made it a point on Feb. 20 to call out Maine for allowing "men in women's sports" during a White House Meeting of GOP Governors, vowing to cut funding to the state if it didn't comply with his executive order. The very next day, on Feb. 21, during a bipartisan meeting of governors, Trump threatened to cut federal funding right to Mills' face when she said she wouldn't comply. 

Earlier that morning, Makin sent a mass email to her Maine Department of Education colleagues, outlining impending defiance of Trump's executive order, disregarding his threats of federal funding cuts. 

"Last night, the President directly referenced the State of Maine, declaring his plan to withhold Federal funding from Maine because of reports that a transgender athlete is allowed to compete in high school sports," the email read, giving more instructions to follow the Maine Human Rights Act.  

"There are many congressional barriers and checks and balances of government that should prevent the president from acting on his statement."

That same day, the superintendent of the school district that Greely High School is a part of, MSAD #51's Jeff Porter, reached directly out to Makin, asking if the state would be changing its policies to follow Trump's executive order. Makin's response was redacted upon a public records request. 

In the waning hours of that afternoon on the 21st of February, the U.S. Department of Education announced it would be launching a Title IX investigation against the state. 

MAINE TEENS BATTLING STATE DEMOCRATS ON GIRLS' SPORTS BILL AFTER ENDURING TRANS ATHLETE CHAOS IN HIGH SCHOOL

In the first week of March, Makin was involved in an email chain with the Maine Education director of communications, and director of special projects, after an employee at Freeport High School sent a request for Makin. 

Freeport High School's girls' track team came in second place to Greely High School at the girls' track and field championships that the trans athlete competed in. The trans athlete's pole vault victory was pivotal in deciding the team finishes. However, the Freeport employee didn't appear to directly reference that incident in the email. 

"Many educators are shaken and feeling vulnerable," the employee wrote. 

"Hearing from you that we will stand together as a community would be a gift to Maine educators. I would like to hear in particular that the Maine DOE will offer support to any school or district targeted for investigation as a result of reports of ‘divisive ideologies and indoctrination’ or ‘illegal discriminatory practices at institutions of learning.’"

The email also referenced an apparent video Makin delivered at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which the employee claims helped boost morale. 

The Education director of Special Projects wrote, in correspondence with Makin while discussing whether to honor the request, that they had received another request from Freeport. 

"My vote is that the field needs to hear from you… they need reassurance from their leader and the silence is not helpful… we got another one over weekend from Freeport," the director of special projects wrote. 

However, the director of communication argued that more responsibility should land directly with Mills to communicate with the schools. 

"My opinion is that a bigger conversation with the Governor’s Office regarding communication to the field could be beneficial to us all," the director of communication wrote. 

Makin responded, writing "None of that could be done without the [governor's office] first giving approval… I hope they will allow her to do something before she gets to the TOY Gala on Saturday." 

It is unclear if Makin or Mills ever ended up fulfilling the Freeport employee's request. 

The past controversy involving the Greely High School athlete had a wide-ranging ripple effect on the state's congress. Maine GOP state Rep. Laurel Libby was censured by the Democrat majority for a social media post that publicized the Greely student who won the girls' pole vault title in February. 

Libby later filed a lawsuit that went all the way up to the Supreme Court over the censure. 

The Supreme Court ordered the state legislature to restore Libby's voting rights in May. However, her speaking rights were still withheld until Maine House Assistant Majority Leader Lori Gramlich, a Democrat, proposed Libby's speaking rights be restored on June 25. The resolution passed by a whopping vote of 115-16, despite previously voting 75-70 to censure Libby months earlier. 

Emails obtained by Fox News Digital from Gramlich's inbox show multiple self-described Democrat Libby constituents lambasting her and the party's handling of Libby's censure before Gramlich. 

"I am a lifelong Democrat who first worked for Eugen McCarthy's Presidential bid," one email wrote to Gramlich, Fecteau, later adding, "Depriving Libby of her voice and her vote does not punish her. She and the GOP love it… 

"Depriving her of her voice and vote is unethical, as it punishes her constituents. You have removed MY representative in the house. Depriving Libby of her voice and vote is the best thing that can happen to her in a long time. She is advancing her public profile dramatically, not just locally but statewide and nationally by playing the victim and claiming the role of protector of girls and women." 

Another email from another of Libby's constituents wrote, "I believe that supporting women in government must include supporting women with differing opinions. Silencing an elected official for expressing a viewpoint — even a controversial one — sets a concerning precedent for both free speech and fair representation." 

Fox News Digital has reached out to Gramlich's and Fecteau's offices to ask why they voted to restore Libby's speaking rights.

On June 8, Libby and the Maine AG's office agreed to drop the censure lawsuit. Libby provided a statement to Fox News Digital one day earlier on June 7, addressing her decision not to contest the AG ruling her lawsuit moot after her rights were restored. 

"While the Attorney General now claims this case is moot, make no mistake—this is only because House Democrats backed down in the face of legal defeat. They rescinded the unconstitutional restrictions on my voting and speaking rights, and more importantly, they’ve put in writing that those restrictions cannot be reimposed for the same reasons in the future," Libby said. 

"I will not contest the AG’s mootness argument—but only because the constitutional rights of my constituents have now been restored and the leadership has formally abandoned the punishment they once insisted was justified." 

The state is now in a lawsuit against the DOJ after refusing to make an agreement to comply with Trump's demands on protecting girls' sports. 

Residents organized multiple protests and marches on the state's capitol building in Augusta over the issue, wielding signs that echoed the messages of a national movement to "save girls' sports." Many of the protesters were girls' high school sports athletes like Himes, who marched on the capital to lobby for a state-level bill to keep girls' sports exclusively female in early May. 

Trump's administration made multiple funding pauses to the state over the issue of trans athletes, which were later rescinded. The first was to the state's university system, UMS, on March 11. That pause ended after a Title IX compliance review. The second pause came on April 2, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture cut funding to all Maine public schools. That pause ended on May 2.

Amid the chaos, some school districts in the state even went out of their way to defy Mills and Makin, to comply with Trump on the issue. 

MSAD #70, in mid-April, and RSU #24, in early May, each passed localized resolutions that ensured only females were allowed in girls' sports.

Still, the state's high school sports season in 2025 saw another transgender athlete for North Yarmouth Academy compete against girls in Nordic skiing and track and field. 

The state's tornado of national attention came to a lull in early June when the school year and high school sports season ended. The trans athlete for Greely High School that thrust the state into chaos months earlier did not show up to compete in the girls' state finals on June 10. 

Now, the state has a fall sports season to worry about in the coming months and a trial date with the DOJ in January as the state's Democratic leaders remain defiant of Trump. All the while, data suggests the state's residents don't support current policies. 

A survey by the American Parents Coalition found that out of about 600 registered Maine voters, 63% said school sports participation should be based on biological sex, and 66% agreed it is "only fair to restrict women’s sports to biological women."

The poll also found that 60% of residents would support a ballot measure limiting participation in women’s and girls' sports to biological females. This included 64% of independents and 66% of parents with children under age 18.

"The Maine Department of Education is captured by activists who want to project their troubling ideology onto children, regardless of the unfairness or even danger this poses to young girls. If Maine’s officials truly cared about their athletes, they would have already reversed course years ago. Unfortunately, this is about pushing a dangerous ideology above all else," Defending Education's Casey Ryan told Fox News Digital of his opinion on Makin's handling of the situation. 

Defending Education Outreach Director Erika Sanzi told Fox News Digital, "It's bad enough when an individual school is teeming with gender ideologues but when the state's department of education is also overrun with these activists, the well-being of students is at much greater risk."

Now, more than five months after Makin's initial guidance to Maine schools to defy Trump, the state's conflict with the White House may only just be beginning. And that defiance may not have even represented the desires of most Mainers to begin with. 

Additionally, because of that defiance that Makin helped stoke initially, Libby's rise could foreshadow a wide-ranging impact on the state's political balance of power in the 2026 midterms and Maine's gubernatorial election. 

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A transgender high school pitcher in Minnesota was not included in an annual coaches' poll of All-State selections despite a dominant season that ended with a championship. 

The trans athlete, Marissa Rothenberger of Champlin Park High School, was absent from the Minnesota Fastpitch Coaches Association list of 2025 All-State honors. 

Rothenberger previously made the list as a first-team All-State selection in Class AAAA in 2024. Rothenberger also won all-tournament honors in 2025. 

This year, Rothenberger was left off the list despite a 12-1 record, a 0.74 ERA and a 0.65 WHIP. 

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Rothenberger's 0.74 ERA was among the best in the state, and the athlete pitched five straight games in the postseason, giving up just one earned run in 35 innings while striking out 27 batters. Rothenberger also went 5-for-16 at the plate, with two doubles, three RBIs and a run scored in the Rebels’ run to the 2025 AAAA Minnesota softball state championship.

The pitcher's 2024 season, recognized with first-team All-State honors, did include a better ERA at 0.40. 

A Minnesota Fastpitch Coaches Association source told Fox News Digital selections are determined through a vote of member coaches, and an athlete must be nominated by her own coach to be considered. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to Champlin Park High School softball head coach Bryan Woodley asking if he nominated Rothenberger. 

Rothenberger's presence in Minnesota girls softball brought national scrutiny, a lawsuit and a federal investigation this year. 

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services launched a Title IX investigation into the state of Minnesota June 27, citing a male softball pitcher who had won a state championship.

HOW TRANSGENDERISM IN SPORTS SHIFTED THE 2024 ELECTION AND IGNITED A NATIONAL COUNTERCULTURE

The state was already under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education for its laws allowing biological males in girls sports and defying President Donald Trump's "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" executive order. That investigation was elevated to a federal Title IX investigation team, which operates in conjunction with the Department of Justice, June 12.

Three softball players in Minnesota filed a lawsuit against the state, citing their experiences competing against a biological male. 

The organization representing the plaintiffs suing the state over its policies, Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), previously provided a statement from one of the female players about her experience facing the trans athlete. 

"Hitting against him is not only a physical challenge but a mental, too. It’s a mental battle knowing that he has an advantage in the sport that I grew up playing, making it hard to even want to hit against him," the player said. 

"His ability to get outs and spin the ball is a strong advantage, but, like I said, it’s also incredibly mentally challenging knowing that you’re competing against someone who has unfair advantages leaving you with little to no confidence. 

"This issue has affected me in ways that I never imagined. It’s simply unfair, and I hate that nothing is happening to change that. Boys should not be able to take girls' spots on teams just because they are capable of doing so. I hope that more girls affected by this issue will stand up against this."

The anonymous player also called out Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison for aggressively defending trans inclusion in girls sports in the state. Ellison has filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump and the U.S. Department of Justice over Trump's "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" executive order. 

"It’s really upsetting to know that [Ellison] isn’t taking rights of girls and women seriously. He is allowing boys to compete with girls, and it is not safe and completely unfair. To know that AG Ellison is in complete support of letting boys and men take advantage of females in sports is absolutely disgusting and wrong," the player added.

The Champlin Park School District provided a statement to Fox News Digital defending the decision to allow the athlete to compete on the softball team. 

"Throughout the entire season, and as the Rebels advance to the state tournament, it is important to note that all of the student-athletes participating for the Champlin Park Softball team are eligible to compete in compliance with Minnesota State High School League rules and applicable state law. Due to data privacy laws, the district is not able to provide public comment regarding a specific student-athlete," a statement from the Anoka-Hennepin School District stated.

"In addition, the district is named in an active lawsuit, which limits what information can be shared." 

Ellison's office previously released a statement responding to the lawsuit against the state over Rothenberger's participation in the girls softball season. 

"In addition to getting exercise and the fun of competition, playing sports comes with so many benefits for young people. You build friendships that can last a lifetime, you learn how to work as part of a team and you get to feel like you belong," Ellison said. 

"I believe it is wrong to single out one group of students who already face higher levels of bullying and harassment and tell these kids they cannot be on the team because of who they are. I will continue to defend the rights of all students to play sports with their friends and peers."

The controversy involving Rothenberger was a catalyst for a viral feud between Simone Biles and Riley Gaines in June. Biles initially called out Gaines in response to a post by Gaines pointing out that the Minnesota State High School League disabled comments on its post announcing Champlin Park's softball team as state champions.

A January 2025 New York Times/Ipsos survey found the vast majority of Americans, including a majority of Democrats, don't think transgender athletes should be permitted to compete in women's sports. 

Of the 2,128 people who participated, 79% said biological males who identify as women should not be allowed to participate in women's sports. Of the 1,025 people who identified as Democrats or leaning Democratic, 67% said transgender athletes should not be allowed to compete with women. 

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California Attorney General Rob Bonta released a legal opinion Thursday that indicates daily online fantasy sports platforms in the state are now illegal.

Bonta's 33-page opinion states that fantasy sports platforms are illegal because they involve betting on sports. The seemingly only applies to daily fantasy sports, but not season-long fantasy sports leagues. 

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"Like traditional sports wagering, daily fantasy sports games enable participants to win or lose money based on the outcome of sporting events played by third-party athletes," the opinion says. 

"Just because the operator is not betting against the players does not mean that the players are not betting against each other."

JAGUARS SHOULD PUT TRAVIS HUNTER TO THE TEST AS HE CHASES 2-WAY DREAMS, SUPER BOWL CHAMP SAYS

Sports gambling has been illegal in California, but fantasy sports has been a legal gray area. But online fantasy sports platforms have operated in the state for more than a dozen years, and the product has generated billions of dollars in that time. 

In a 2022 state election, voters overwhelmingly rejected a measure to legalize online sports betting. Then in 2023, California GOP state lawmaker Scott Wilk sent a letter to the state's Department of Justice, requesting a legal opinion on daily fantasy sports. 

Now, that opinion has been released, and it could bring about disruption to the state's fantasy sports industry. 

California Governor Gavin Newsom's office provided a statement to Fox News Digital addressing Bonta's ruling.

"The Attorney General, in his independent capacity, issued this opinion — not the Governor’s Office. While the Governor does not agree with the outcome, he welcomes a constructive path forward in collaboration with all stakeholders," the statement read.

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Maine state representative Laurel Libby had her speaking rights restored by fellow state lawmakers on Wednesday, five months after she was censured for a social media post that identified a trans athlete. 

The Supreme Court restored Libby's voting rights on May 20 after she filed a lawsuit in response to the censure, but her speaking rights have still been withheld from her until now. Libby was still waging her lawsuit against Maine House Speaker Ryan Fecteau to have the full censure overturned. 

Libby told Fox News Digital that she walked into the state capital Wednesday unaware that today her speaking rights would be restored, and she didn't even find out until near the end of the session when she and others were getting ready to adjourn. 

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Just before adjournment, House assistant majority leader Lori Gramlich proposed a resolution that upon adjourning, Libby's full voting and speaking rights would be restored. The resolution passed by a vote of 115-16. 

"It was a surprise, it was our 33rd supplement of the day, and within minutes it was on the floor," Libby said. 

Libby's censure was initially passed on Feb. 25 by a vote of 75-70. Libby said no reason was given for Wednesday's surprise resolution that ended the censure. But she believes it's because of the momentum she had in her lawsuit and the growing public opposition against trans athletes in girls' sports.

"Democrats know that they are losing on this issue, that the majority of not just Mainers, but Americans, do not agree with their extreme stance allowing biological males to participate in girls' sports," Libby said. "They know they're losing on that issue, they know that they're losing in the courts regarding my lawsuit that I filed… and so they caved because they know they're losing and this is the best way for them to save face." 

MAINE TEENS BATTLING STATE DEMOCRATS ON GIRLS' SPORTS BILL AFTER ENDURING TRANS ATHLETE CHAOS IN HIGH SCHOOL

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that requires states only allow females to compete, but multiple Democrat-run states, including Maine, have defied the order and continued to enable trans inclusion. 

The U.S. Department of Justice and Attorney General Pam Bondi have even filed their own separate lawsuit against the state of Maine for continuing to defy the order. 

Libby has been a central figure in the conservative pushback against Democrat policies that enable trans inclusion in girls' sports in Maine. In addition to her lawsuit against Fecteau, Libby has been repeatedly critical of Mills for her refusal to comply with Trump. 

It started when she made a Facebook post that identified a trans athlete that won a girls' pole vault competition for Greely High School in February, prompting pushback from Democrats in the state who criticized her for identifying a minor, which was the main premise of her censure. However, she and her attorneys argued that the trans athlete had already been publicized in other media. 

The same trans athlete then skipped the spring track and field state championships earlier in June. 

A survey by the American Parents Coalition found that out of about 600 registered Maine voters, 63% said that school sports participation should be based on biological sex, and 66% agreed it is "only fair to restrict women’s sports to biological women."

Many Maine residents have even entire school districts have stood up against Mills' policies alongside Libby. Maine's school districts RSU No. 24 and MSAD No. 70 have each passed their own localized resolutions to keep girls' spots for female students only. There have also been three large-scale protests against the current policies in the state's capital city, Augusta, since February. 

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President Donald Trump host the popular Italian soccer club Juventus FC at the White House on Wednesday, as the team is in the U.S. for the Club World Cup. 

During the visit, as the players stood behind Trump's desk in the Oval Office, Trump broached the subject of transgender athletes in women's sports during a lengthy rant about former President Joe Biden. 

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"He was never for open border, and you'd think, he was never for transgender for everybody, or men playing in women's sports," Trump said. 

The president then turned around to face the Juventus players and posed a question. 

"Could a woman make your team, fellas?" he asked. 

The players all exchanged glances, but none gave an answer. 

The president then turned to face the team's general manager Damien Comolli and pose the same question.

"We have a very good women’s team," Comolli said. 

But Trump pressed Comolli, repeating the question, "But they should be playing with women?" 

Comolli did not offer an answer that time. 

"See, they're very diplomatic," Trump mocked. 

HOW TRANSGENDERISM IN SPORTS SHIFTED THE 2024 ELECTION AND IGNITED A NATIONAL COUNTERCULTURE

Trump has made combating trans athletes in women's and girls sports a key pillar of his second administration's agenda. 

Trump signed the "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" executive order on Feb. 5 after campaigning heavily on the issue in 2024. The order prompted the NCAA to change its gender eligibility policy to only permit biological females to compete in the women's category. 

However, Trump's executive order has been met with staunch resistance by Democratic state leaders across the country. 

Trump's administration is already engaged in a lawsuit against Maine, and has been sued by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison over the issue as well. Federal Title IX investigations have also been opened into California and Massachusetts' high school sports leagues. 

A New York Times/Ipsos survey found the vast majority of Americans, including a majority of Democrats, don't think transgender athletes should be permitted to compete in women's sports. 

Of the 2,128 people who participated, 79% said biological males who identify as women should not be allowed to participate in women's sports. Of the 1,025 people who identified as Democrats or leaning Democrat, 67% said transgender athletes should not be allowed to compete with women. Among 1,022 Republicans, that number was 94%. 

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The Maine Senate voted against bill LD 1134, which would have kept biologically male trans athletes out of girls' sports, on Thursday. 

The rejection comes amid ongoing resistance by the state's Democrat leadership against President Donald Trump's "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" executive order, which dates back to February. 

The U.S. Department of Justice has launched a lawsuit against the state for refusing to sign an agreement to keep girls' sports for females only. A federal judge on Tuesday set a trial date of April 1, 2026, for that lawsuit. 

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Prominent Maine Republican lawmaker Laurel Libby, who has emerged as a central figure in the state's battle over the issue, criticized the Democrat majority for not passing the bill in a post on X Friday. 

"It is clear that biological reality and the will of Maine people have no bearing on the decisions made in the Maine legislature, as the Democrat majority just voted to allow biological males to continue to dominate in girls' sports and invade girls' spaces," Libby wrote. 

Athletes and women's rights activists had been lobbying for the state to pass bills banning trans athletes from girls' sports for months. 

Back in early May, multiple girls' athletes marched on August to testify before the state legislature in support of three bills on the issue including LD114 and similar bills LD 868 and LD 233.

MAINE GIRL INVOLVED IN TRANS ATHLETE BATTLE REVEALS HOW STATE'S POLICIES HURT HER CHILDHOOD AND SPORTS CAREER

"[Democrats] definitely asked a lot less questions to the people who they didn't agree with than the people who they did agree with, and you could tell they did not feel as compassionate," Presque Isle student track athlete Lucy Cheney previously told Fox News Digital. "They got emotional just when [pro-trans speakers] were sharing, and it seemed like they really cared for them, and they wanted to support them, and it didn't feel as much as they wanted to hear our side." 

Cheney's teammate Carrlyn Buck said that when the Democrats did come to them with questions, they seemed "hostile." 

"They just seemed more hostile toward our testimonies when they did ask questions," Buck said. "It felt like a lot of questions were being pestering." 

The DOJ has accused the state of "openly and defiantly flouting federal anti-discrimination law by enforcing policies that require girls to compete against boys in athletic competitions designated exclusively for girls," according to a complaint obtained by Fox News Digital.

Governor Janet Mills, the Maine Department of Education and the Maine Principals' Association have held firmly in support of continuing to enable trans inclusion in girls' sports across the state, citing the Maine Human Rights Act as the precedent for determining gender eligibility. 

Meanwhile, two Maine school districts have already taken matters into their own hands, as MSAD No. 70 and RSU No. 24 have each moved to amend their own policies to keep trans athletes out of girls' sports. 

A survey by the American Parents Coalition found that out of about 600 registered Maine voters, 63% said that school sports participation should be based on biological sex, and 66% agreed it is "only fair to restrict women’s sports to biological women."

The poll also found that 60% of residents would support a ballot measure limiting participation in women’s and girls' sports to biological females. This included 64% of independents and 66% of parents with kids under age 18.

But so far, the governor has remained firm in opposing Trump on the issue, even at the cost of taxpayer-funded legal fees. 

"I’m happy to go to court and litigate the issues that are being raised in this court complaint," Mills told reporters in April.

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Maine state Rep. Laurel Libby became a national figure in the movement to keep trans athletes out of girls' sports in February when she called out a trans athlete for Greely High School who won a girls' pole vault competition. 

The post resulted in Libby being censured, which she fought all the way up to the Supreme Court to overturn. She was granted her voting rights back by the Supreme Court on May 15. 

On Tuesday, the trans athlete that Libby's post called out did not show up to compete in the Maine Class A track and field state championships, per multiple witnesses.

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Libby reacted to the news in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

"Yesterday a biological male who won the girls’ State Championship in February chose not to participate in the girls’ pole vault at Maine’s Class B Outdoor Track State Championship, and a girl rightfully won the State Championship," Libby said.

"Our girls’ opportunities and podium placements should be decided by their hard work and performance, not the whims of others. All Maine girls should have the guarantee of a fair, safe and level playing field, which is not the case as long as our laws allow biological males to participate in girls’ sports."

Fox News Digital has reached out to Greely High School for comment. 

Female athletes took all the major medals in Maine's girls' track and field finals events Tuesday, after the competition was delayed from Saturday due to weather. 

It marked the end of a contentious track and field season for the state, as the Greely High School trans athlete and another one representing North Yarmouth Academy competed against the backdrop of political conflict. 

Maine's current laws have resulted in girls across the state expressing outrage, as at least two trans athletes have won competitions in track and field, cross-country and Nordic skiing in recent years. 

Presque Isle student Hailey Himes previously told Fox News Digital that she was at the February state meet that Libby posted about where the Greely High School trans athlete won first place in girls' pole vault.

"I watched this male pole vaulter stand on the podium and we were all just like looking we were like ‘We’re pretty sure that's not a girl. There's no way that's a girl,'" Himes said. "It was really discouraging, especially for the girls on the podium not in first place. So that motivated me to fight for them." 

MAINE TEENS BATTLING STATE DEMOCRATS ON GIRLS' SPORTS BILL AFTER ENDURING TRANS ATHLETE CHAOS IN HIGH SCHOOL

Himes, along with her track and field teammates Cassidy Carlisle, Lucy Cheney and Carrlyn Buck, marched on the state capital of Augusta in early May to meet with GOP leaders on the issue and lobby the state legislature to pass bills banning biological males from girls' sports.

Buck added, "It's not just about the points, it's also that our teammates are going to feel discouraged when placed in an event against them because they're going in already knowing that the outcome is decided, with playing against a biological male who is biologically stronger than them, so they have no chance." 

As Libby fights a legal battle that included Supreme Court intervention to have her censure overturned, the state's Democratic leadership is fighting a battle against President Donald Trump's administration over the broader issue of trans athlete inclusion in girls' sports. 

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against the state in response to Gov. Janet Milles openly defying Trump's "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" executive order. 

A federal judge on Tuesday set a trial date of April 1, 2026, for that lawsuit. 

Trump’s administration has said the Maine Department of Education is violating the federal Title IX anti-discrimination law by allowing transgender girls to participate on girls’ teams.

Meanwhile, Maine's leaders have refused to agree to a written amendment to keep biological males out of girls' sports, citing the Maine Human Rights Act's protections to gender identity. 

A survey by the American Parents Coalition found that out of about 600 registered Maine voters, 63% said school sports participation should be based on biological sex, and 66% agreed it is "only fair to restrict women’s sports to biological women."

The poll also found that 60% of residents would support a ballot measure limiting participation in women’s and girls' sports to biological females. This included 64% of independents and 66% of parents with kids under age 18.

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USA Gymnastics (USAG) could be the next major American sports governing body to change its policies on allowing trans athletes to compete with women. 

The organization provided a statement to Fox News Digital addressing why its website pages for its transgender eligibility policies and resources were deleted. 

"In May, USAG removed its policy to assess compliance with the current legal landscape," the statement said.

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President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Feb. 5 to ban trans athletes from women's sports, and USA Fencing has already faced federal scrutiny over its rules that let males compete with females.

USAG's previous policies were highly permissive to biological males who wished to compete in the women's category. 

One of the deleted webpages was a November 2020 announcement stating that the organization would no longer require trans athletes to undergo sex reassignment, legal gender recognition and hormone therapy in order to compete in the gender category of their choosing. 

The organization also previously had resources and guidelines for trans athletes on its website, but those pages have also been deleted.

USAG was thrust into the spotlight this past weekend after Olympic legend Simone Biles garnered mass backlash for attacking former NCAA swimmer and conservative influencer Riley Gaines. Biles called Gaines "truly sick" and suggested Gaines is the size of a male after Gaines pointed out that a Minnesota high school whose softball team won a state championship Friday with a transgender pitcher, and that Minnesota's high school league disabled comments on an X post of the announcement. 

Biles has since issued a public apology for her comments against Gaines. 

Generally, the American public has become more universally opposed to allowing trans athletes to compete in women's sports over the last year.

A New York Times/Ipsos survey found the vast majority of Americans, including a majority of Democrats, do not think transgender athletes should be permitted to compete in women's sports. 

Of the 2,128 people who participated, 79% said biological males who identify as women should not be allowed to participate in women's sports. Of the 1,025 people who identified as Democrats or leaning Democratic, 67% said transgender athletes should not be allowed to compete with women. 

FORMER STAR GYMNAST SLAMS USA GYMNASTICS FOR TRANS ATHLETE POLICY HANDLING

Other major Team USA sports governing bodies have quietly amended their transgender policies amid rising opposition to trans inclusion in women's and girls' sports. 

USA Track and Field (USATF) official transgender eligibility policy now references the World Athletics guidelines on its official webpage. USATF previously referenced the International Olympic Committee (IOC)'s policy, as seen in an archive via Wayback Machine. 

The IOC allows biological males to compete in the women's category, while World Athletics bans any athlete who has undergone male puberty from competing as a woman.

USA Fencing announced in April that it is preparing to change its gender-eligibility policy, after a viral protest by women's fencer Stephanie Turner sparked mass backlash and federal intervention by protesting a trans opponent. 

The organization said it is preparing to amend its current policies that allow biological males to compete with women and girls in the event that it is "forced" to change them. 

"In the event that USA Fencing is forced to change its current stance in accordance with oversight bodies or federal legislation, the new policy states athletes competing in USA Fencing-sanctioned tournaments must compete according to their biological sex," the announcement read. 

The proposed updated policy ensures that the women's category "will be open exclusively to athletes of the female sex." The men's category "will be open to all other athletes who are otherwise eligible for competition."

Now, USA Gymnastics is getting in on the wave of changes, as Team USA as a whole could have a very different set of rules in time for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics compared to years past. 

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USA Gymnastics is under the national microscope after its biggest star, Simone Biles, ignited mass backlash for attacking Riley Gaines over the issue of trans athletes in women's sports. Biles has since apologized for her remarks against Gaines, but the impact of public perception to her and the organization is only just setting in. 

Former Team USA and NCAA champion women's gymnast Dee Worley, spoke out against USA Gymnastics after it was revealed that the organization's webpages outlining its transgender athlete policy and resources were offline, Fox News Digital previously reported. 

Worley, a former USA Gymnastics athlete and board member, revealed in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital her thoughts on the state of leadership for the nation's governing gymnastics body, as the U.S. is set to host the next Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028. 

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"I think there’s been a steady decline in its ability to have backbone and its leaders' ability to have backbone for some time now," Worley said of the organization and its recent quiet distancing from trans inclusion policies. "When you don’t have principles that you are willing to be dyed in the wool about and be ten toes down about, then you are going to blow with every wind."

Worley, who competed for the U.S. national team as early as high school in the late 1980s, made history at the University of Alabama as a 17-time All-American, a four-time champion and a nine-time regional champion. As a senior in 1993, she set an NCAA record with perfect 10's in five consecutive meets. She later says she served as a USA gymnastics board member. 

Now, Worley is a women's sports rights advocate and a member of the Independent Counil on Women's Sports (ICONS) network. 

And she went so far as to say the organization is exhibiting "cowardice," with its past stance and currently unclear stance on the issue now. 

"I don’t like their cowardice in any instance. Whether it means they have the trans information up in the first place or they took it down when it got hot in the kitchen. I don’t admire cowardice and I think you know find your position stand on it, but be ready for the fight if you are standing on an issue that is going to be at the detriment of women in your sport who have made your sport what it is," Worley said. 

Previous links to three of the organization's pages outlining its transgender eligibility policies are currently offline. When the pages were officially taken offline is currently unknown. 

One link previously led to a November 2020 announcement that the organization no longer required trans athletes to undergo sex reassignment, legal gender recognition, and hormone therapy in order to compete in the gender category of their choosing, as seen in an archive by the Wayback Machine. That page still shows up in search results, but the link now goes to a 404 error page. 

Another link previously went to a three-page PDF pamphlet of USA Gymnastics guidelines for transgender and non-binary athletes, as seen in a Wayback Machine archive. That link is now inaccessible, but is still a top result on search engines. 

Another link previously went to a nine-page PDF USA Gymnastics pamphlet titled "Transgender Athlete Inclusion Resources: Supporting Transgender and Non-Binary Athletes," as seen in a Wayback Machine archive. That link is also no longer accessible. 

Worley predicts that the organization will announce an official amendment to its policy, but not one that goes far enough as she'd like. 

"I predict they will amend the language leaving lots of loopholes and flexibility for them to be just nebulous enough for them to change their minds if and when the time comes," Worley said.

"I think they are very pressure driven an externally focus driven instead of being principle driven. So you cannot depend on any organization that does not stand on anything or have actual values that they refused to bend on."

Fox News Digital has reached out to USA Gymnastics for comment. 

SIMONE BILES DOESN'T REALIZE WHAT SHE'S ADMITTING ABOUT TRANS WOMEN IN HER POSTS, RILEY GAINES SAYS

For Worley, the organization's recent stance in letting biological males compete in the women's category represents a leftward political shift by the organization in recent years. She believes it began in after the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

"When I was a part of USA Gymnastics it was really rigid… USA Gymnastics was really about being team USA. It was about representing the United States well," Worley said of when she competed in the 90s and early 2000s. 

"So that’s my recollection of it and it has gone way left now. In my opinion, USA Gymnastics has been absolutely plaqued by incredibly faulty leadership for many, many years and has also bent its knee to the woke mob. Which is unfortunate because it has nothing to do with gymnastics." 

Worley recalls a shift by the organization de-prioritizing the protection of athletes after the public treatment of Gabby Douglas at the 2008 summer games. 

"I did notice that and that was kind of the tipping point for me, I noticed some type of fall off in terms of the protection of the athletes," Worley said. 

Other major Team USA sport governing bodies have quietly amended their transgender policies amid rising opposition to trans inclusion in women's and girls' sports. 

USA Track and Field (USATF) official transgender eligibility policy now references the World Athletics guidelines on its official webpage. 

USATF previously referenced the International Olympic Committee (IOC)'s policy, as seen in an archive via Wayback Machine. 

The IOC allows biological males to compete in the women's category, while World Athletics bans any athlete who has undergone male puberty from competing as a woman.

USA Fencing announced in April that it is preparing to change its gender-eligibility policy, after a viral protest by women's fencer Stephanie Turner sparked mass backlash and federal intervention by protesting a trans opponent. 

The organization said it is preparing to amend its current policies that allow biological males to compete with women and girls in the event that it is "forced" to change it. 

"In the event that USA Fencing is forced to change its current stance in accordance with oversight bodies or federal legislation, the new policy states athletes competing in USA Fencing-sanctioned tournaments must compete according to their biological sex," the announcement read. 

The proposed updated policy ensures that the women's category "will be open exclusively to athletes of the female sex." The men's category "will be open to all other athletes who are otherwise eligible for competition."

Worley hopes that the next generation of gymnasts can help contribute to substantial change in their governing body. 

"If any female gymnasts are in a position where there is a male competitor who is claiming to be a female and wanting to compete against females, I would say to them ‘push back,’" Worley said.  

"One don’t compete if you opt out there is no one for them to compete against. Two really put pressure on the governing body who is supposed to have your back. Supposed to be supporting you of your progression in the sport. Don’t let them get away with checking the woke mob box and doing whatever they think they should be doing for optics for a very small percentage of the population at the sacrifice and compromise of your career." 

Fox News Digital's Connor McGahan contributed to this report.

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