MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The Trump administration has initiated a lawsuit against Minnesota and its governing body for school athletics, specifically targeting the state's policies allowing transgender athletes to compete in girls' sports. This legal action follows a long-standing threat from the administration to penalize states that adopt policies perceived as supportive of transgender youth athletics.
This lawsuit is part of a broader national debate regarding the rights of transgender youth. Currently, more than two dozen states have enacted laws prohibiting transgender women and girls from participating in certain sports, while some have even banned gender-affirming surgeries for minors. Notably, courts have intervened, blocking some of these restrictive measures from being implemented.
In the lawsuit filed on Monday, the Justice Department claims that the Minnesota Department of Education and the Minnesota State High School League are violating Title IX, a federal statute that prohibits sex discrimination in educational programs that receive federal funding. Attorney General Pamela Bondi emphasized in a statement that the Trump administration is committed to rejecting state policies that allegedly disregard biological realities and harm female athletes.
A representative from the Minnesota Attorney General's office is currently reviewing the situation for a potential response, while officials from the Minnesota State High School League have yet to provide any comments following the lawsuit.
The Trump administration's legal actions against states are not isolated. Similar lawsuits have been filed against Maine and California, and there have been threats to cut federal funding to certain universities, including San Jose State University and the University of Pennsylvania, over their handling of transgender athletes.
Minnesota officials have historically resisted the federal push to impose bans on transgender athletes in girls' sports. In fact, the state previously filed a proactive lawsuit in April, arguing that Minnesota's human rights act takes precedence over the executive orders issued by President Donald Trump. The state insists that it is in compliance with Title IX, and a ruling is currently pending regarding the federal government's motion to dismiss that case.
The Justice Department's statement claims that Minnesota's policies violate Title IX by mandating that girls compete against boys in athletic events designated for girls and allowing boys to invade spaces reserved for girls, such as locker rooms and bathrooms. The Department of Education states that Minnesota receives over $3 billion annually in federal funding, which is contingent upon adherence to Title IX regulations.
The lawsuit seeks a declaration from a federal court in Minnesota affirming that the state is in violation of Title IX, and it demands an order prohibiting transgender girls from competing in girls' prep sports. In a previous warning, the civil rights offices of the Education Department and the Health and Human Services Department had notified Minnesota and the athletic league in September that legal action would follow if they continued deviating from compliance with federal law.
