Trump Admin Moves Closer to Stripping Minnesota of Federal Funds Over Trans Athlete Policy
The Trump administration took a major step Monday toward pulling federal funding from the state of Minnesota, officially referring its transgender athlete investigation to the Department of Justice after the state refused to comply with Title IX enforcement.
The referral sets the stage for a high-profile legal showdown between the Trump administration and Democrat-led Minnesota over the state’s policy of allowing biological males to compete in girls’ high school sports.
“Minnesota reels from a fraud scandal, and @GovTimWalz is fighting to keep men in women’s sports,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon posted on X. “Now, he’ll have to make his case in court.”
The Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services jointly found that the Minnesota State High School League violated federal Title IX protections by allowing boys to participate in girls’ competitions, ranging from softball and volleyball to skiing and track. One biological male made headlines last spring after dominating the girls’ state softball tournament as a pitcher.
Despite repeated warnings from Washington, the state has refused to negotiate. Now, Minnesota risks losing all federal education funding from both the Department of Education and HHS.
“Despite repeated opportunities to comply with Title IX, Minnesota has chosen defiance,” McMahon told The Daily Caller. “They continue to jeopardize the safety of women and girls, deny them fair competition, and erode their right to equal access in educational programs and activities.”
The administration says the state’s policies directly violate the intent and letter of Title IX, which was created to protect women’s access to equal opportunities—not undermine them.
Meanwhile, Minnesota’s Department of Education continues to defend its stance, claiming that federal law requires schools to allow athletes to compete based on gender identity and to use the bathroom of their choice—positions the Trump administration flatly rejects.
President Trump signed an executive order in February banning boys and men from competing in female sports divisions. The order threatens to strip funding from any state that violates the policy, and Minnesota appears to be on a collision course with federal law.
Left-wing Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has already sued the Trump administration, accusing it of “bullying vulnerable children.” Ellison argues that Trump lacks the authority to override state laws permitting biological males in girls’ sports.
The federal government disagrees.
The Education Department’s findings, released last September, cited multiple sports—including Alpine and Nordic skiing, lacrosse, and volleyball—as examples where Minnesota allowed boys to compete against girls. The DOJ referral now raises the stakes.
The Trump administration has also launched similar Title IX enforcement actions against California and Maine. But Minnesota is now squarely in the spotlight, as immigration crackdowns, fraud investigations, and now this legal battle converge on the embattled state.
“The Trump administration will not stop until accountability is delivered for Minnesota’s students,” McMahon said.