Athlete criticizes Maine transgender sports policy as DOJ files Title IX lawsuit

A high school athlete in Maine is speaking out against state policies that allow transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports.

Cassidy Carlisle, a cross-country skier, says she’s witnessed the effects of such policies firsthand. She recalled an incident from middle school when she encountered a transgender student in the girls’ locker room.

“As a 13-year-old girl, when you walk in the locker room and see a biological male standing there, that’s something you can’t put into words,” Carlisle said on “America Reports” Wednesday. 

“I knew something was wrong in that moment.”

Carlisle says she reported the incident to school administrators at the time, but the experience stuck with her. Now, she’s speaking publicly to advocate for what she calls fairness and safety for female athletes.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s one or 100, you’re taking opportunities away from females. And that’s not right,” she said.

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Carlisle’s comments come as the U.S. Department of Justice announced a lawsuit against the state of Maine. The suit alleges the state is violating Title IX by allowing transgender athletes to compete in girls’ sports, defying an executive order from President Donald Trump aimed at restricting such participation.

“The Department of Justice will not sit by when women are discriminated against in sports,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi at a press conference Wednesday.

Maine Governor Janet Mills responded strongly to the lawsuit, defending the state’s position.

“Today is the latest, expected salvo in an unprecedented campaign to pressure the State of Maine to ignore the Constitution and abandon the rule of law,” Mills said in a written statement. 

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“This matter has never been about school sports or the protection of women and girls, as has been claimed, it is about states’ rights and defending the rule of law against a federal government bent on imposing its will, instead of upholding the law.”

 “Let today serve as warning to all states: Maine might be among the first to draw the ire of the Federal government in this way, but we will not be the last,” she added.

Carlisle, however, pushed back on the governor’s claim, saying the issue is ultimately about protecting young women.

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“It’s all about girl athletes. And if it’s not, the fact that you are willing to fight that fight and put your female athletes at jeopardy is heartbreaking,” she said. 

Carlisle says she and other activists aren’t speaking out about this issue for them, but for future female athletes. 

“You know it’s not about me,” said Carlisle. “It’s about the generations to come and that we’re protecting them.”

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The Justice Department argues Maine’s policies violate federal anti-discrimination law by requiring girls to compete against boys in some athletic events.

An investigation by Secretary of Education Linda McMahon’s department concluded Maine was in violation of Title IX. That investigation led to the matter being referred to the DOJ.

The lawsuit follows a separate legal battle between Maine and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which had frozen federal funding over the state’s transgender athlete policy. Maine sued the USDA, accusing it of withholding funds that support meals at schools, childcare centers, and programs for disabled adults. A federal judge has since ordered the funding to be restored.

The DOJ’s latest action also stems from a high-profile clash in February between President Trump and Governor Mills at a White House meeting. Their dispute over transgender athletes ended with both sides declaring, “See you in court.”