MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Trump administration launched a lawsuit against Minnesota and its governing body for high school athletics on Monday, continuing its aggressive stance against states allowing transgender athletes to compete in girls' sports.
This lawsuit is part of a larger national conflict concerning the rights of transgender youth, which has seen more than two dozen states enact laws that prohibit transgender women and girls from participating in specific sports. Some states have also restricted gender-affirming medical treatments for minors, although legal challenges have blocked various elements of these policies.
In the court filing, the Justice Department claims that Minnesota’s Department of Education, along with the Minnesota State High School League, is in violation of Title IX—an essential federal law aimed at eliminating sex discrimination in education programs that receive federal funding.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi commented, The Trump Administration does not tolerate flawed state policies that ignore biological reality and unfairly undermine girls on the playing field.
A spokesperson from the Minnesota attorney general's office was investigating how to respond to the legal action, while officials from the high school sports league had not provided immediate comments.
Similar lawsuits have previously been filed against states including Maine and California, as the administration seeks to challenge their policies impacting transgender athletes. Additionally, threats of withdrawing federal funding have been aimed at institutions like San Jose State University and the University of Pennsylvania concerning their transgender athlete policies.
Officials in Minnesota have consistently resisted the federal government's pressure to ban transgender athletes from girls' sports. The state previously filed a preemptive lawsuit alleging that its human rights law takes precedence over executive actions issued by President Trump. A decision on a motion to dismiss that case is still pending.
The Justice Department argues that Minnesota is violating Title IX by allowing boys to compete against girls and claiming that such practices invade private spaces such as locker rooms. Minnesota's education department currently garners over $3 billion each year in federal funding, which is conditional on adherence to Title IX standards.
The lawsuit calls for a federal court ruling declaring that Minnesota must prohibit transgender girls from competing in girls’ sports.
