The state of Minnesota told the Trump administration on Friday that it would not provide a “substantive response” to a demand the state ban transgender-identifying males from female sports and spaces.
Minnesota Solicitor General Liz Kramer wrote that the timeline for state action was unclear and criticized the federal Title IX investigation and the suggestion that the state “faces imminent cuts to federal funding” unless it makes changes, the The Minnesota Star Tribune reported.
“As you know, if the federal government intends to follow the law, it would need to follow an extensive, multi-step administrative process before any federal funding to Minnesota education programs or activities could ever be terminated,” Kramer wrote.
The Trump administration announced on Sept. 30 that Minnesota is in violation of Title IX for its policies allowing transgender-identifying males to compete in female sports and occupy female spaces.
The Department of Education (ED) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) specifically accused the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) and the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) of violating Title IX’s prohibition on sex discrimination for their policies prioritizing “gender identity” over biological reality.
“The joint finding determined that, over the course of several years, MDE and MSHSL allowed male athletes to compete on the girls’ Alpine ski team, the girls’ Nordic skiing team, the girls’ lacrosse team, the girls’ track and field team, the girls’ volleyball team, and the girls’ fastpitch softball team,” ED said in a press release.
ED’s Office for Civil Rights initiated an investigation in February after MSHSL publicly said it would follow state law prioritizing “gender identity” over federal anti-discrimination law and President Donald Trump’s executive order, “Keeping Men out of Women’s Sports.” By June, HHS initiated its own compliance review after a transgender-identifying male athlete from Champlin Park High School snagged several wins in girls’ MSHSL softball matches, including a state championship.
ED and HHS issued a proposed Resolution Agreement to MDE and MSHSL to voluntarily resolve their Title IX violations within 10 days or “risk imminent enforcement action,” the agencies said.
White House assistant press secretary Liz Huston told the local publication: “While Minnesota officials continue to intentionally endanger female athletes with their radical embrace of gender ideology, President Trump is committed to restoring commonsense policies and keeping men out of women’s sports.”
More than two dozen Minnesota school board members released a letter on Friday backing transgender-identifying males in female sports, according to the report.
The pro-transgender letter followed an earlier letter signed by more than 200 Minnesota board members who urged the state to change its policy to avoid risking federal funding and uphold fairness in women’s sports.
“We cannot afford to jeopardize millions in federal funding and suffer ongoing budget uncertainty for continuing to violate Title IX,” the letter reads.
Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on X @thekat_hamilton.
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