Trump admin pursuing action against Minnesota over trans athletes in girls’ sports

Minnesota is one step closer to losing federal education funding after the Trump administration referred investigations into civil rights violations to the Justice Department over allowing transgender athletes in girls’ and women’s sports.

The referral, announced Monday, comes after the state Education Department and State High School League refused to ban males from female sports.

A recent example is Champlin Park High School pitcher Marissa Rothenberger, a biological male, who drew national attention while dominating in the state title game last year, as The Lion previously reported.

Federal officials said Minnesota violated Title IX by denying female athletes fair competition and equal access to educational programs. The U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services offered the state a proposed resolution agreement, but Minnesota officials declined to negotiate. Federal officials have threatened to withhold funds from states and entities for non-compliance.

U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the state repeatedly refused to adhere to federal law.

“Despite repeated opportunities to comply with Title IX, Minnesota has chosen defiance – continuing to jeopardize the safety of women and girls, deny them fair competition, and erode their right to equal access in educational programs and activities,” McMahon said in a statement. 

She tied the referral to broader problems facing the state.

“As Minnesota reels from a massive fraud scandal exposing Governor Tim Walz’s dereliction of duty, today’s referral to DOJ underscores the state’s ongoing failure to safeguard its citizens and uphold the rule of law,” she said.

The referral comes as the Trump administration has stepped up pressure on Minnesota across multiple fronts.

Federal authorities have increased immigration enforcement activity in the state and intensified scrutiny of public programs following major fraud cases tied to the misuse of taxpayer funds, including schemes involving childcare and social services. 

Minnesota is not alone in facing federal scrutiny. The Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights has launched Title IX investigations into public schools, colleges and state education agencies across the country over similar transgender athlete policies.

Entities under investigation include school districts and colleges in California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Washington.

Federal officials said the Justice Department referral signals a willingness to pursue enforcement action against states refusing to comply with Title IX protections for female athletes.