05/02/25 05:53:00
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05/02 17:52 CDT Trump administration settles with Maine over funding freeze
after dispute over trans athletes
Trump administration settles with Maine over funding freeze after dispute over
trans athletes
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) --- President Donald Trump's administration on Friday
agreed to halt all efforts to freeze funds intended for a Maine child nutrition
program after initially suspending those dollars due to a disagreement between
the state and Trump over transgender athletes.
In response, the state will drop its lawsuit that had been filed against the
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey announced.
"It's unfortunate that my office had to resort to federal court just to get
USDA to comply with the law and its own regulations," Frey said in a statement.
"But we are pleased that the lawsuit has now been resolved and that Maine will
continue to receive funds as directed by Congress to feed children and
vulnerable adults."
An email message seeking comment was sent Friday to the Agriculture Department.
The settlement closes a dispute first sparked by the federal government's
decision to freeze federal funds to Maine for certain administrative and
technological functions in the state's schools.
A letter from Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins explained that the decision
stemmed from a disagreement between the state and federal governments over
whether Maine was complying with Title IX, the federal law that bans
discrimination in education based on sex. Trump had accused Maine of failing to
comply with his executive order barring transgender athletes from sports.
Soon after the secretary's letter was sent, Maine's Department of Education
could not access several sources of federal funds for a state nutrition
program, according to the court's written order.
Maine quickly sued the Trump administration, where the state's attorneys argued
that the child nutrition program received or was due to receive more than $1.8
million for the current fiscal year. Prior year funds that were awarded but are
currently inaccessible total more than $900,000, the lawsuit states. The
lawsuit also said that the program was anticipating about $3 million that is
typically awarded every July for summer meal program sponsor administration and
meal reimbursement.
A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to unfreeze funds last month
after finding that Maine was likely to succeed in its legal challenge.
"The state of Maine went to court and fought this unlawful attempt to freeze
critical funding for our school lunch program -- and we won," said Democratic
Gov. Janet Mills in a statement. "I applaud the work of Attorney General Frey
and his staff in representing the state in this action against USDA, and
preserving healthy school meals for 172,000 Maine school children."
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