Maine Defies Federal Order as Transgender Athlete Claims Girls’ Pole Vault Victory
A transgender-identifying boy won first place in Maine’s Class B state championship for women’s pole vaulting on Monday. The victory comes as Maine refuses to enforce President Donald Trump’s executive order barring biological males from competing in girls’ sports at public schools.
The boy’s win in pole vaulting resulted in Greely High School’s girls’ track and field team securing the championship title by one point. The athlete had previously competed as a boy just years before, prompting calls by state lawmaker Lauren Libby for an investigation by the current administration.
“Two years ago, [boy’s name] tied for 5th place in boys pole vault. Tonight, ‘[girl’s name]’ won 1st place in the girls’ Maine State Class B Championship,” Libby highlighted in a Facebook post. In a statement to The Daily Wire, she urged action from the Trump administration to protect the female athletes who have been victimized. Trump’s orders have indicated his administration would investigate such instances and schools could be subject to funding loss.
“The decision by the Maine Principals’ Association to continue allowing male athletes to compete against female athletes in school athletic competitions is outrageous,” Libby said. “Not only does their decision violate President Trump’s February 5 Executive Order but it jeopardizes the safety and privacy of female athletes, all while allowing male athletes to take medals, trophies, and podium spots away from women, effectively erasing them.”
“I urge the Trump Administration to move swiftly to ensure that female athletes in Maine can once again compete on a level playing field, preserving the integrity of women’s sports,” the statement said.
Maine’s Department of Education has stated it will not comply with Trump’s order, and the Maine Principals’ Association has affirmed that biological males will continue to be allowed to compete in girls’ and women’s sports. Earlier this month, The Maine Wire reported on the state’s defiance and highlighted concerns from local coaches, including Allen Cornwall, who warned about the male pole vaulter’s participation.
“They’re going to be the conference champion, quote unquote girls’ conference champion,” Cornwall said. “They’ll be the quote unquote girls state champion for the class B athlete. And these girls that have been competing for years, working towards this, are just being sidelined, and it’s really disgusting.”
Cornwall noted that the athlete had previously competed in boys’ pole vaulting as a mid-range competitor but, after transitioning, ranked among the top ten female pole vaulters in the state.
