Maine restores lunch funds after USDA transgender policy dispute

The Trump administration has agreed to stop withholding federal nutrition funds from Maine schools, marking a victory for the state after months of legal and political clashes over transgender rights.

Gov. Janet Mills issued a statement following the settlement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which had suspended funding over allegations that Maine’s transgender-inclusive policies violated Title IX:

“The State of Maine went to court and fought this unlawful attempt to freeze critical funding for our school lunch program — and we won,” Mills said. “I applaud the work of Attorney General [Aaron] Frey and his staff in representing the state in this action against USDA, and preserving healthy school meals for 172,000 Maine school children.”

The USDA confirmed in a settlement disclosed Friday that it would cease all efforts to block funds for the state’s child nutrition program. The move comes after Maine refused to comply with demands from then-President Donald Trump that trans girls be banned from girls’ sports.

In February, during a White House meeting with governors, Trump had directly threatened to pull funding from the state. Governor Mills responded, “We’ll see you in court,” in a widely circulated exchange.

Following that confrontation, Maine filed a lawsuit against the USDA last month and agreed to drop the suit after securing a settlement that restores the funding.

“It’s good to feel a victory like this,” Mills said at a news conference, according to the Portland Press Herald. “I stood in the White House and when confronted by the president of the United States, I told him I’d see him in court. Well, we did see him in court, and we won.”

The USDA had frozen funding for programs serving 172,000 children in the state. According to the lawsuit, Maine had already received or expected over $1.8 million in nutrition support this fiscal year, with more than $900,000 in previously awarded funds being withheld. The program also anticipated receiving around $3 million for summer meal services.

The federal judge presiding over the case had earlier ruled in favor of Maine, finding the state likely to prevail in its legal challenge and ordering the administration to unfreeze the funds.

Frey commented on the outcome, saying, “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. 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.”

The settlement explicitly states that the USDA and Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins will not freeze or interfere with Maine’s access to funding based on alleged Title IX violations without following proper legal procedures.

The agreement does not affect a separate ongoing lawsuit filed by the Trump administration against the Maine Department of Education over its policy supporting transgender athletes.

»Related: https://www.agdaily.com/news/100-days-in-rollins-pushes-rollback-of-biden-era-ag-policies/