Attorney General Pam Bondi Puts California, Maine, Minnesota On Notice Over Title IX Violations
A few states have chosen not to comply with President Donald Trump's executive order banning males from participating in girls' and women's sports. But Pam Bondi is putting them on notice.
The Attorney General issued letters to officials in California, Maine and Minnesota warning them to comply with the order and Title IX.
"This Department of Justice will defend women and does not tolerate state officials who ignore federal law," Bondi said. "We will leverage every legal option necessary to ensure state compliance with federal law and President Trump’s Executive Order protecting women’s sports."
Attorney General Pam Bondi has issued warnings to three states over Title IX violations.
(Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump signed the "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" executive order — promising to remove federal funding from schools and programs that don't comply.
In the days that followed, the Maine Principals’ Association, the Minnesota State High School League and the California Interscholastic Federation all expressed their intentions to ignore the order and continue allowing trans-identifying males to compete in girls' sports. Recently, in Maine, a male student-athlete won a high school state championship in girls' pole-vaulting.
U.S. President Donald Trump joined by women athletes signs the "No Men in Women’s Sports" executive order in the East Room at the White House on Feb. 5, 2025.
(Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
"The Department of Justice stands ready to take all appropriate action to enforce federal law. I hope that it does not come to this," Bondi's letter reads.
"The DOJ does not want to have to sue states or state entities, or to seek termination of their federal funds. We only want states and state entities to comply with the law. And federal law requires giving girls an equal opportunity to participate in sports and athletic events by ensuring that girls need to compete only with other girls, not with boys."
Trump's executive order empowers federal agencies to make sure entities that receive federal funding abide by Title IX in alignment with the Trump administration’s view, which prioritizes biological sex over gender identity.