Minnesota School Board Requests Compliance with Federal Order on Transgender Athletes
The Forest Lake School board, along with nearly 100 school board members from various districts across Minnesota, has asked the state education department and the governing body for high school athletics to comply with a Trump administration demand to bar transgender athletes from participating in girls’ sports. This request comes after a federal civil rights investigation found that Minnesota and the Minnesota State High School League had violated Title IX, a federal law that bans sex discrimination in education, by allowing males to compete in female sports and occupy female intimate facilities.
The U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services’ civil rights offices gave the league and the state of Minnesota 10 days to make changes or risk losing federal funding. In response, the Forest Lake School Board President, Curt Rebelein, introduced a letter to members at their October 2 meeting, stating that the district needed to push the state and league to act, as noncompliance could risk continued funding. Rebelein wrote, “As recipients of federal financial assistance, failure to correct these violations directly threatens our schools’ ability to serve our students and communities.”
Protecting Fairness in Women’s Sports
The letter, which was also signed by school board member Tessa Antonson, emphasized the importance of protecting fairness in women’s sports. It stated, “The federal determination highlights how permitting males to compete on female teams displaces female athletes from podiums, denies them advancement opportunities, and diminishes their visibility and recognition in competitions.” The resolution to send the letter passed on a 4-3 vote of the school board, with opposed members raising concerns that it was not placed on the agenda and that they did not have enough time to review the letter.
Board member Gail Theisen voted against sending the letter, citing that it came as a surprise and that school district attorneys hadn’t reviewed the language. Rebelein, however, had his own attorneys review the letter and wanted to send it as soon as possible, given the tight deadline set by federal officials. As of Monday, the Minnesota Department of Education and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison had not released their plans on how they will react to demands from the administration of President Donald Trump.
Transgender Athletes in Minnesota School Sports
It is unclear how many transgender athletes participate in Minnesota school sports. Federal officials found that transgender athletes had participated in girls’ sports, including lacrosse, skiing, track and field, volleyball, and softball. The Minnesota State High School League, which has allowed students to decide whether to participate in boys or girls sports based on their gender identity since 2014, had not publicly signaled its plans as of Monday. MSHSL Executive Director Erich Martens could not be reached for comment.
The recent Title IX investigation is the latest development in the Trump administration’s push to end transgender participation in girls’ sports. Trump issued an executive order on the issue earlier this year, and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi threatened Minnesota officials with legal action if they did not comply. The MSHSL following the order would likely violate the state Human Rights Act and the Equal Protection Clause of the state Constitution, which includes protections for different sexual orientations and gender identities.
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