The United States Department of Agriculture is temporarily pulling its funding for the University of Maine System a week after the Trump administration sent a violation notice to Gov. Janet Mills (D-ME) for allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports.
USDA sent an email to the university ordering “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.”
“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,” the email stated. “Please take any necessary actions to effectuate this direction from leadership. This pause will remain in effect until further notice.”
Last month, Mills and President Donald Trump publicly fought over the state of Maine’s failure to comply with Trump’s executive order barring biological males from competing in women’s sports.
Trump threatened to pull federal funding from the state, but at the time, Mills said she would not be intimidated by the Trump administration.
The University of Maine System said that it is in compliance with state and federal laws, as well as NCAA requirements that recently prohibited transgender athletes from competing.
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“I’m appalled by the USDA’s decision to pause funding to the University of Maine System,” Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) shared on social media. “This will hurt our farmers, halt critical research, and impact students throughout Maine. Once again, our state is being targeted for retribution — all because our officials are standing up for the rule of law.”
Last week, the Trump administration canceled $400 million in federal grants and contracts to Columbia University for failing to address instances of anti-Semitic activity on campus.