On March 19, the federal department's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) sent a letter notifying the Maine Department of Education (MDOE) that its policies and practices violate Title IX rules by allowing males to partake in female sporting events.

Title IX prohibits discrimination based on sex in any education program or activity that receives federal funding.

The OCR proposed a resolution agreement on March 19 detailing corrective actions, including banning males from female sports. However, "MDOE has taken no action to protect women and girls from discrimination in sports or intimate spaces," the federal agency said in a March 31 statement.

On Monday, the OCR notified Maine that "unless it signs a Resolution Agreement by April 11, OCR will refer the matter to DOJ (Department of Justice) for proceedings, which could result in termination of MDOE's federal education funding."

The investigation was launched by the Office for Civil Rights on Feb. 21.

The probe came following President Donald Trump's presidential action on Feb. 5 opposing "male competitive participation in women's sports." It called for rescinding "all funds from educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities."

Allowing males to compete against females in sporting events is "demeaning, unfair, and dangerous to women and girls, and denies women and girls the equal opportunity to participate and excel in competitive sports," it said.

Commenting on the final warning letter to MDOE, Department of Education Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor said the Maine education department's "indifference to its past, current, and future female athletes is astonishing."

"By refusing to comply with Title IX, MDOE allows—indeed, encourages—male competitors to threaten the safety of female athletes, wrongfully obtain girls' hard-earned accolades, and deny females equal opportunity in educational activities to which they are guaranteed under Title IX," he said.

On Feb. 21, Maine Gov. Janet Mills said that her state "will not be intimidated by the President's threats."

If federal funding is cut, her administration "will take all appropriate and necessary legal action to restore that funding," she said at the time.

The Epoch Times has reached out to MDOE for comment.