#Maine rebuffs #HHS order on #TransgenderAthletes
By CHELSEA CIRRUZZO and KELLY HOOPER
03/20/2025
"The governing body that oversees Maine’s school sports is rebuffing efforts by HHS’ Office for #CivilRights to penalize it for policies allowing transgender girls to play on women’s teams.
"The Maine Principals’ Association argues that HHS has no jurisdiction over the group and the issue should instead be resolved through the state legislature and Congress.
"'MPA receives no direct or indirect federal funding, so it is not beholden to Title IX enforcement by HHS and therefore cannot be included in any future investigations or litigation,' MPA said in a Wednesday statement. The group’s counsel made the same argument in a letter to HHS on Tuesday.
"How we got here: HHS said Monday it would give Maine 10 days to sign an agreement to bar transgender students from women’s sports or risk enforcement action from the Justice Department, POLITICO’s Bianca Quilantan reports.
"According to a statement by HHS, federal officials say the Maine Department of Education, the Maine Principals’ Association and Greely High School, which had a transgender student compete on a women’s team, violated #TitleIX, the anti-sex discrimination law, with their policies that allow transgender students to compete on girls’ sports teams.
"HHS had launched a brief investigation into Maine’s policies on transgender students in sports on Feb. 21 after President Donald Trump threatened Maine’s federal funding and singled out Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat, and her state’s policies. Mills refused to say whether she would comply with his executive order barring transgender girls from girls’ sports and had vowed to meet the Trump administration in court.
"The Maine attorney general’s office said it was reviewing the proposed agreement. Greely High School did not immediately respond to requests for comment. HHS also did not respond to a request for comment."
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-pulse/2025/03/20/maine-rebuffs-hhs-order-on-transgender-athletes-00239848
#Fascism #CharacteristicsOfFascism #TransRightsAreHumanRights #TransgenderAthlete #Authoritarianism #USPol #MainePol
![Initially, Reyes Barrios was placed in maximum security at Otay Mesa & accused of being a Tren de Aragua gang member. The accusation is based on 2 things. First, he has a tattoo on his arm of a crown sitting atop a soccer ball with a rosary & the word "Dies." OHS alleges that this tattoo is proof of gang membership. In reality, he chose this tattoo, because it is similar to the logo for his favorite soccer team Real Madrid. See logo below. [pictures of the tattoo & the pictures of the logo]. Second, OHS reviewed his social media posts & found a photo of Reyes Barrios making a hand gesture that they allege is proof of gang membership. After submitting a police clearance from Venezuela indicating no criminal record, multiple employment letters, a declaration from the tattoo artist who rendered the tattoo, & various online images showing similar soccer ball/crown tattoos & explaining the meaning of the hand gesture, Reyes Barrios was transferred out of maximum security. Nevertheless on March 10th or 11th, he was transferred from Otay Mesa to Texas without notice. Then, on March 15, 2025, he was deported to El Salvador. Counsel & family have lost all contact with him have no information regarding his whereabouts or condition.](https://s3.masto.ai/media_attachments/files/114/195/225/081/435/628/original/74454f805954cc68.png "Initially, Reyes Barrios was placed in maximum security at Otay Mesa & accused of being a Tren de Aragua gang member. The accusation is based on 2 things. First, he has a tattoo on his arm of a crown sitting atop a soccer ball with a rosary & the word \"Dies.\" OHS alleges that this tattoo is proof of gang membership. In reality, he chose this tattoo, because it is similar to the logo for his favorite soccer team Real Madrid. See logo below. [pictures of the tattoo & the pictures of the logo]. Second, OHS reviewed his social media posts & found a photo of Reyes Barrios making a hand gesture that they allege is proof of gang membership. After submitting a police clearance from Venezuela indicating no criminal record, multiple employment letters, a declaration from the tattoo artist who rendered the tattoo, & various online images showing similar soccer ball/crown tattoos & explaining the meaning of the hand gesture, Reyes Barrios was transferred out of maximum security. Nevertheless on March 10th or 11th, he was transferred from Otay Mesa to Texas without notice. Then, on March 15, 2025, he was deported to El Salvador. Counsel & family have lost all contact with him have no information regarding his whereabouts or condition.")
