The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Saturday announced it was launching an investigation into the University of Maine, citing the state’s “blatant disregard” of an executive order issued by President Donald Trump that aims to bar transgender athletes from competing against girls.
Ralph Linden, acting general counsel for the USDA, sent a letter dated Saturday announcing the review to Gov. Janet Mills, University of Maine System chancellor Dannel Malloy and the Maine attorney general’s office.
The news marks an escalation of conflict between the Republican president and Democratic governor, who got into a heated argument at a White House event the day before over Maine’s policies allowing transgender students to participate in sports.
Soon after the exchange, the Trump administration said it would investigate the Maine Department of Education and a local school district under Title IX, a 1972 law barring sex-based discrimination. His administration cited Trump’s recent executive order.
The USDA review targets UMaine since it receives millions in funding from the agency, though it is a rare move. There was only one such USDA investigation from 2015 to 2019, according to a 2020 Government Accountability Office review.
“President Trump has made it abundantly clear: taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars will not support institutions that discriminate against women,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins in a press release. “USDA is committed to upholding the President’s executive order, meaning any institution that chooses to disregard it can count on losing future funding.”
A UMaine spokesperson said the USDA did not notify administrators directly but they would cooperate with the review.
“The University of Maine System appreciates the media making us aware of the USDA’s letter, which recognizes our flagship’s record of success in securing funding from that agency but notably makes no allegations of any wrongdoing,” said Samantha Warren. “Maine’s public universities will continue to comply with all relevant State and Federal laws and cooperate with any compliance reviews to ensure postsecondary educational opportunities and high-impact research continue to benefit our students, the state and our nation.”
The USDA said UMaine receives over $100 million in federal funding, though Warren said that number was over multiple years. In 2023, UMaine received less than $18 million in USDA funding, she said.
A spokesperson for Mills declined to comment on the latest probe, but cited a statement from the day before that called the first Title IX investigation politically motivated and pledged to defend Maine in court.
Maine is the third state to be investigated in this way by Trump’s administration after California and Minnesota. After Trump retook the White House in January, his administration overturned former President Joe Biden’s interpretation of Title IX and said it will return to enforcing protections “on the basis of biological sex” in schools and colleges.
Maine law has barred discrimination on the basis of gender identity since 2005. In 2021, Mills and the Democratic-led Legislature increased educational protections for transgender people.
Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs and activities that receive federal funding.
Correction: This story has been updated to reflect the correct day of the announcement.