Maine Gov. Janet Mills told Trump she’d see him in court over school meals and trans rights. She did and she won
The Trump administration has retreated after a federal judge stepped in to block its attempt to withhold funding from Maine’s school meal programs—a retaliatory move tied to the state’s refusal to enforce a ban on transgender girls participating in girls’ sports. As part of a legal settlement unveiled Friday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture agreed to reinstate millions in nutrition funding and pause its efforts to use meal programs as leverage in President Donald Trump’s broader anti-trans push—at least for the time being.
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This reversal follows a highly publicized standoff between Democratic Gov. Janet Mills of Maine and Trump during a White House meeting in February. When Trump demanded that Mills enforce his executive order prohibiting trans athletes from joining girls’ and women’s sports or risk losing all federal funds, she refused to back down.
Related: Maine Gov. Janet Mills confronts Donald Trump to his face over anti-trans sports order at White House
“We’ll see you in court,” she said.
On Friday, she delivered on that promise, telling reporters, > “Well, we did see him in court—and we won,” the Portland Press Herald reports.
This marks a significant victory for both Maine and the rule of law. Trump’s USDA had frozen upwards of $3 million in federal support that helps feed over 170,000 children and at-risk adults in the state, alleging Maine’s inclusive sports stance violated Title IX. But last month, a federal judge found the department had likely skirted required legal procedures. Rather than face a sweeping injunction, USDA backed down.
“It’s unfortunate that my office had to resort to federal court just to get USDA to comply with the law and its own regulations,” said Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey in a statement. “But we are pleased that the lawsuit has now been resolved and that Maine will continue to receive funds as directed by Congress to feed children and vulnerable adults.”
Related: Maine Gov. Janet Mills doubles down on defying Trump’s attacks on trans rights after court victory
Even with this settlement in place, the Trump administration is pressing forward with a separate lawsuit against Maine, challenging the state’s inclusion policies and threatening to pull $250 million in broader education funds via the Department of Education, according to The New York Times. Civil rights groups caution that this lawsuit is just one piece of a larger strategy to roll back protections for transgender students across the country and pressure states into compliance through fear and financial threats.
Trump issued his controversial “No Men in Women’s Sports” executive order on February 5. It covers all levels of public education as well as the U.S. Olympic Committee and mandates that any institution allowing transgender girls and women to compete in female categories be stripped of federal dollars. At the time, Trump repeated unfounded claims that trans athletes had unfairly taken “thousands of victories” from cisgender athletes—statements contradicted by available data.
Meanwhile, the American Civil Liberties Union is monitoring 575 anti-LGBTQ bills that have been introduced in state legislatures across the U.S. in 2025. These proposals span from healthcare restrictions to curriculum bans, mandatory outing of LGBTQ students, limits on gender-affirming documentation, and exclusions from school sports and public spaces.
In reality, NCAA President Charlie Baker recently testified that fewer than 10 transgender athletes are currently participating among the 510,000 student-athletes in NCAA programs.
