Trump Administration Says Minnesota Violated Title IX by Allowing Biological Males To Play Girls’ Sports

A biological male pitcher is credited with leading a girls’ softball team to a state championship.

AP/Ron Edmonds, file
Students rally outside the Department of Education at Washington in 2006. AP/Ron Edmonds, file

Add Minnesota to the growing list of states that the Trump administration says violated Title IX by allowing biological males to compete in girls’ sports.

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits sex discrimination in education programs and activities that receive funding from the Department of Health and Human Services.

The Minnesota Department of Education and the Minnesota State High School League were investigated by the United States Department of Education, which concluded that the state and high school sports leagues committed sexual discrimination by allowing males to compete in female sports and use female bathrooms and locker rooms.

The violations occurred over the course of several years, according to the investigation. Biological males competed on teams for girls for Alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, lacrosse, track and field, volleyball, and softball, federal officials say.

Investigators say a biological male helped the Champlin Park High School girls’ softball team win a state championship by overpowering female athletes during five consecutive games, giving up only one earned run over the course of 35 innings and striking out 27 female batters.  

The investigation into Minnesota started after the league publicly declared its intention to violate federal antidiscrimination law and an executive order by President Trump called “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.”

“For too many years, Minnesota’s political leadership has found itself on the wrong side of justice, common sense, and the American people,” the acting assistant secretary for civil rights at the Department of Education, Craig Trainor, says. “The Trump Administration will not allow Minnesota or any other state to sacrifice the safety, fair treatment, and dignity of its female students to appease the false idols of radical gender ideology.”

Minnesota and the sports leagues have 10 days to voluntarily block biological males from competing on girls’ sports teams or risk enforcement action such as reductions in federal funding and possible legal action by the Department of Justice.

The Department of Education previously found California in violation of Title IX for allowing biological males to compete against girls. The justice department filed suit against the state in July, alleging reckless endangerment on the state’s part.

Maine has had its own running battle with the Trump administration over transgender athletes. Mr. Trump and the state’s governor, Janet Mills, got into a verbal spat over the issue during a public event at the White House in February. When he warned her about complying with the executive order, Ms. Mills replied by telling the president that her state would “comply with state and federal law” and that she would “see you in court.”

“You better do it because you’re not going to get any federal funding at all if you don’t,” Mr. Trump said. The Trump administration has since sued the state over the transgender athlete policy.

Other Title IX investigations are targeting high schools and colleges in Connecticut and North Carolina.


The New York Sun

© 2025 The New York Sun Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The material on this site is protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used.

The New York Sun

Sign in or  create a free account

or
By continuing you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use