Sen. Mike Lee: Maine “About to Find Out” As DOJ Files Civil Lawsuit Over Title IX Defiance

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has announced that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is filing a civil lawsuit against the Maine Dept. of Education over the state’s refusal to protect women’s sports from biological males pretending to be women.

The announcement comes nearly two months after President Trump told Maine Governor Janet Mills he would “see you in court” for her defiance over his executive order to keep males out of women’s sports as well as Title IX violations.

Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) in a post on X, earlier today, tweeted that Maine may be “defiant in its lawlessness” but noted that the state is “about to find out.”

Maine remains defiant in its lawlessness

But it’s about to find out https://t.co/ARjPFLQAXv

— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) April 16, 2025

Bondi was joined by former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines and fencer Stephanie Turner at the press conference earlier today.

Gaines and Turner have both taken a stand after being forced to compete against biological males who claim to be women.

Bondi emphasized that the DOJ “will not sit by when women are discriminated against in sports” and clarified that the issue is “also about women’s safety” particularly when biological males are allowed to use restrooms and dressing rooms that are reserved for females.

The Attorney General spoke of having “exhausted every other remedy” and stated that “Maine’s leadership has refused to comply at every turn, so now we have no other choice. We are taking them to court.”

Bondi went on to list specific examples in Maine where biological males were allowed to compete in women’s sports and ended up dominating the competition while denying biological female athletes the opportunity to advance in their respective sports.

🚨 @TheJusticeDept filed a civil lawsuit against the Maine Department of Education for violating Title IX by allowing biological males to compete in girls’ sports.@AGPamBondi: “Maine’s leadership has refused to comply at every turn, so now we have no other choice. We are taking… pic.twitter.com/E37IPIcY4j

— Carrie Severino (@JCNSeverino) April 16, 2025

Fox News reports that the complaint filed by the DOJ accuses the state of Maine of violating federal antidiscrimination law by requiring girls to compete against boys in competitions designed exclusively for girls.

The complaint also states: “By prioritizing gender identity over biological reality, Maine’s policies deprive girl athletes of fair competition, deny them equal athletic opportunities, and expose them to heightened risks of physical injury and psychological harm.”

The DOJ complaint explains that Title IX and its implementing regulations, “permit and encourage sex-separated sports to ensure girls have an equal opportunity to participate, excel, and reap the educational benefits of athletics. Yet, Maine’s policies flout this core Title IX principle by allowing boys to compete in girls’ sports without regard for these biological realities.”

The lawsuit seeks a judgment that grants “declaratory injunctive, and damages relief for Defendant’s violations of Title IX and the federal funding contracts it signed promising to comply with Title IX and its implementing regulations.”