by WorldTribune Staff / 247 Real News March 12, 2025
The Trump administration has paused federal funding for Maine’s university system after the state refused to enforce President Donald Trump’s order banning men from competing in women’s sports.
Last month, Trump signed an executive order to “re-write federal Title IX education rules to withhold federal funds from schools that allow transgender athletes to play as females.”
The University of Maine system, which received $29.78 million in federal funding from the Biden-Harris administration in 2024, acknowledged on Tuesday that the funding had been paused.
“An email forwarded to the University of Maine that appears to have originated from the USDA’s (U.S. Department of Agriculture’s) Office of the Chief Financial Officer directs the department’s ‘awarding agencies and staff offices to temporarily no longer issue any payments or authorize any other releases of funding to Columbia University or the University of Maine System,’ ” a spokesperson for the Maine system said.
“The message goes on to state, ‘This pause is temporary in nature while USDA evaluates if it should take any follow-on actions related to prospective Title VI or Title IX violations. Please take any necessary actions to effectuate this direction from leadership. This pause will remain in effect until further notice.’”
WorldTribune.com reported on Feb. 19 that a male from Greely High School in Cumberland, Maine was allowed to compete in the girls’ competition in the Class B State Indoor Track Championships.
Katie Spencer, a biological male who identifies as a female, won the girls’ pole vault competition. With the win, he scored key points in the school’s girls’ team’s state championship.
In the boys’ competition, Spencer’s 10-6 clearance would not have placed in the top 10.
The Maine Principals’ Association, which governs high school sports in the state, said last month that it would continue to allow males to compete in girls’ sports.
A recent New York Times/Ipsos poll found that 79% of Americans believe men should not be allowed to participate in women’s athletics.
The University of Maine system holds a network of eight public colleges, according to its website, with an annual enrollment of nearly 30,000 students.
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