The advocacy group Independent Women Wednesday commended U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Trump administration following the Department of Justice’s announcement of enforcement action against the state of Maine regarding Title IX compliance in school sports.
The DOJ action, announced by Attorney General Bondi, targets Maine’s policies that allow athletes identified as male at birth to compete in girls’ and women’s sports. According to Independent Women, this move comes after Maine allegedly disregarded President Donald Trump’s “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports Executive Order.”
Attorney General Bondi stated the DOJ would pursue legal measures against Maine to uphold women’s rights under Title IX.
Independent Women, which has consistently argued for interpreting Title IX protections based on biological sex, praised the decision.
The organization stated that when states like Maine implement policies allowing transgender women in female sports, the rights of women and girls to privacy, safety, and equal opportunity are “not just trampled—they are erased.” Today’s federal action is seen by the group as a step toward reversing this alleged damage.
READ: “Judges Ruled He Was MS-13”: AG Pam Bondi Defends Salvadoran’s Deportation
Support for the federal stance also came from Maine’s own U.S. Senator, Susan Collins. As noted by Independent Women, Senator Collins remarked on the social media platform X: “The conflict between how the State of Maine and the Administration interpret Title IX needs to be resolved. I agree with the federal government’s position that biological males should not compete in girls’ and women’s athletics. Policies to the contrary violate the original intent behind Title IX.”
Linnea Saltz, an ambassador for Independent Women and a former NCAA athlete known for raising concerns about competing against transgender athletes, hailed the announcement.
“The era of men in women’s sports is over,” Saltz declared. “States that violate Title IX and erase decades of hard-won progress for women and girls should expect real consequences. Under President Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi’s leadership, the law is being enforced. It’s time for every state to comply with federal law. Fair and equal play for women is not negotiable.”
READ: US Attorney General Pam Bondi Announces $510 Million Drug Seizure At Florida Port, Targets Cartels
Beth Parlato, Senior Legal Advisor for Independent Women, echoed the sentiment, applauding AG Bondi and the DOJ for “standing up for the integrity of women’s sports.”
Parlato asserted, “Allowing males to compete against women not only undermines decades of progress made under Title IX, but it’s fundamentally unfair and unsafe. Girls and women deserve a level playing field — not to be sidelined by political agendas that ignore basic biology.” She characterized the lawsuit as necessary to protect female athletes in Maine and warned other states, stating, “States across the U.S. better take note – the Trump administration will put an end to men in women’s sports.”
The Department of Justice’s planned legal action signals a significant federal challenge to state policies regarding transgender athlete participation in women’s sports divisions.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Connect with us: Follow the Tampa Free Press on Facebook and Twitter for breaking news and updates.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.
