An eastern Maine school district is the latest one to adopt a resolution aimed at barring transgender students from sports and private spaces that align with their gender identity.
The board of Regional School Unit 24, a district in Hancock and Washington counties, voted Tuesday to align its policies with President Donald Trump’s interpretation of Title IX, the federal statute barring sex discrimination, which conflicts with Maine laws that bar gender identity discrimination in public accommodations.
It has been one of the biggest political issues in the state this year after Gov. Janet Mills’ war of words with the president at the White House in February. His administration sued the state in April, aiming to enforce its interpretation of the law. Activists have been organizing to get school districts to overturn their policies on the issue in conservative areas of the state.
Sullivan-based RSU 24 is at least the sixth district to buck the Maine Human Rights Act this year. The Monday meeting was heavily attended, with the crowd including a Republican gubernatorial candidate as well as a school board member from the school district in Hodgdon, which was the first Maine district to update its Title IX policies this spring.
After state leaders said they had no plans to go after school districts in violation of state policies, a flurry of districts have begun considering similar directives and policies. The policy was passed against the advice of the district’s lawyers, RSU 24 board member Jeffrey Alley said.
Conservative groups like the Maine Policy Institute and Parents Rights in Education have pushed Maine school boards, including RSU 24, to adopt similar policies. They have found early success in some of the state’s reddest areas. More votes are potentially coming this month in Livermore Falls and Richmond.
A recent Gallup poll found that 70% of Americans think transgender athletes should only be on sports teams that match their birth sex. The Justice Department’s lawsuit mentioned three transgender athletes on scholastic girls’ sports teams in the state.
It’s unclear how many transgender students are in RSU 24. The district already voted in May to rescind a policy specifically allowing transgender students to use bathrooms of their choice.
Notable politicians testified on the issue, including Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner, who lives in Sullivan and urged against the change. Republican gubernatorial candidate David Jones, a real estate agent from Falmouth, was at the meeting on Tuesday.
Daniel O’Connor is a Report for America corps member who covers rural government as part of the partnership between the Bangor Daily News and The Maine Monitor, with additional support from BDN and Monitor readers.