Amid active Title IX violations due to trans-identifying athletes competing in women’s sports, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison recently claimed that such athletes pose no harm to the biological women they compete against.
On September 30, the US Department of Education wrote a letter to the state of Minnesota, declaring the state was defying Title IX by allowing trans-identifying students to compete in various girls’ sports.
“Protecting fairness in women’s sports is paramount. 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 DOE wrote. “Female students in our district and across Minnesota deserve equal chances to excel in sports, free from unfair physical advantages that biological differences confer. By entering into the resolution agreement, MDE and MSHSL can ensure equal treatment and foster an environment where female athletes can thrive.”
On the other hand, Ellison finds the White House’s actions toward the state to be a violation of Title IX, and a violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act. Ellison is presently suing the White House for the executive order mandating states to prohibit trans-athletes from competing in non-biological sports.
“The federal government’s threats violate the US Constitution, Minnesota law, and Title IX itself,” Ellison stated, according to the Washington Times. “I’m fighting to prevent these harmful cuts, stop the Administration’s bullying of transgender kids who just want to live their lives in peace, and protect the rights and freedoms of all our students in Minnesota.”
“Letting the very small number of transgender students in Minnesota play on their school sports teams doesn’t harm anyone, but segregating them does,” Ellison continued. “Exclusion is a violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act, which has protected the rights of trans kids to participate in all extracurricular activities for decades.”
The Minnesota DOE has a deadline it must meet by Friday to change its trans athlete policies in accordance with federal law or else lose funding.
