Justice Department targets Minnesota in transgender athletes lawsuit
AP News • • nation
Key Points:
- The Trump administration has sued Minnesota and its school athletics body, alleging violations of Title IX by allowing transgender girls to compete in girls' sports, marking a continuation of its broader campaign against transgender youth rights.
- The Justice Department claims Minnesota's policies force girls to compete against boys and allow boys into girls-only spaces, arguing this undermines fair competition and violates federal law.
- Minnesota officials, including Democratic Attorney General Keith Ellison, denounce the lawsuit as politically motivated and vow to continue defending transgender athletes' rights, citing existing state laws and pending litigation.
- Similar lawsuits have been filed by the administration against Maine and California, with threats to withhold federal funding from educational institutions that permit transgender athletes.
- The suit requests a federal court to declare Minnesota in violation of Title IX and to bar transgender girls from participating in girls' high school sports, challenging the Biden administration's broader interpretation of Title IX protections.
