Maine high school athletes file Title IX complaint over sports policy

Two high school soccer players from Maine have filed a Title IX complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, challenging the state’s policy on transgender participation in sports. Represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom, juniors Reagan Wilson of Fryeburg Academy and Morgan Clark of Windham High School argue that the Maine Principals’ Association’s policy creates an unfair competitive environment for female athletes.

The current policy allows students to participate in sports based on their gender identity rather than their sex assigned at birth, granting individual schools the authority to determine eligibility. The complaint alleges that this policy permits biological males to compete on girls' teams, which the students claim provides an inherent physical advantage. Specifically, the athletes cite recent games against South Portland High School, where a transgender student plays on the girls' team, as evidence of the policy negatively impacting their team rankings and competitive opportunities.