Listen to Fox News Articles Now!
U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon recently responded to a Fox News Digital report alleging that Maine’s education commissioner undermined President Donald Trump’s executive orders in communications with schools. McMahon highlighted these concerns in a post on X, referencing the Trump administration’s ongoing lawsuit against Maine for its alleged violation of Title IX.
“Deliberately defying federal law is the exact reason the [Department of Education] found Maine in violation of Title IX, and why the DOJ is pursuing its lawsuit against the state. Ignoring federal law will lead to consequences,” McMahon emphasized.
Read More Sports Coverage on Fox News
Emails obtained by Fox News Digital reveal that Maine’s Department of Education Commissioner Pender Makin drafted several memos advising schools to prioritize state law over Trump’s executive orders related to public education. One memo stated, “Last week, we advised schools to adhere to the Maine Human Rights Act and your local school board policies regarding nondiscrimination. It’s crucial to ensure the safety of all individuals, and we want to clarify that neither our state law nor your local policies are overridden by the executive orders at the federal level,” as noted in a January 28 email.
Makin also communicated with Maine Assistant Attorney General Sarah Forster regarding a memo that instructed schools to disregard Trump’s executive order on “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling.” In a January 30 email, Makin asserted, “This EO changes nothing for Maine schools,” and reiterated that “Maine schools should continue to follow state laws and local policies.”
On January 31, Makin sent another memo to superintendents and school leaders, stating, “The Executive Order does not change the obligations of schools under state law, including the Maine Human Rights Act, and does not necessitate immediate alterations to locally adopted school board policies.”
Maine State Representative Laurel Libby commented on the situation during an interview with "Fox & Friends" on Tuesday morning. “I’m not surprised at all,” Libby remarked, adding that “most Mainers don’t support this woke agenda. They believe biological males should not compete in girls’ sports and that the focus should not be on DEI and social-emotional learning.”
Since February, Maine and Governor Janet Mills have been at odds with the Trump administration after becoming one of the first states to openly defy Trump’s “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” executive order. This defiance led to a transgender athlete winning a girls’ pole vault competition in February and resulted in a heated exchange between Trump and Mills during a White House meeting with governors on February 21.
The U.S. Department of Justice has initiated a lawsuit against Mills and the state for violating Title IX, with a trial scheduled for January 2026.
Get the Fox News App Today!
A recent survey by the American Parents Coalition revealed that 63% of approximately 600 registered Maine voters believe school sports participation should be based on biological sex. Additionally, 66% agreed that 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, including 64% of independents and 66% of parents with children under 18.
Stay updated with Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and don’t forget to subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
About the Author: Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital, with previous experience at ESPN and Business Insider. He has covered major events such as the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic athletes including Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, and Jerry Rice.
