Maine Lawmaker Libby Blasts Governor Mills Over DOJ Trans Athlete Lawsuit Fallout

Tensions are running high in Maine after U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the state over its policies on transgender athletes in girls' sports. Governor Janet Mills took the opportunity to defend her administration, stating, "I have fought tirelessly for the rights of women and girls, for the health and well-being of children and families."

But that claim didn’t sit well with GOP state representative Laurel Libby, who quickly fired back, calling the governor’s statement "completely false." Libby argued that the DOJ’s lawsuit is proof that Mills isn’t upholding the rights of women and girls in Maine. She criticized Mills for "pushing far-left ideologies that ignore biological reality" and accused the administration of disregarding Title IX, thereby discriminating against female athletes and students.

Libby, who’s been a vocal critic of Mills and was present at the press conference where Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the lawsuit, pointed to Maine’s refusal to comply with President Donald Trump’s executive order on women’s sports as the catalyst for the federal response. Maine, one of the earliest states to openly resist the order, has stuck to its trans inclusion policies despite increasing scrutiny.

The controversy escalated after Libby posted on social media about a transgender athlete who won a girls' pole vault event at Greely High School, drawing national attention. Since then, two federal agencies have launched investigations, the Department of Agriculture froze funding to the state, and the DOJ filed its official lawsuit. Maine has fired back with its own lawsuit over the funding freeze, and a federal judge has ordered that funding be restored — so this legal back-and-forth is far from over.

Meanwhile, Libby herself has faced consequences: she was censured by the Democratic majority in the Maine House for her social media post, which identified the minor athlete. Libby is now suing House Speaker Ryan Fecteau to overturn the censure, arguing the athlete’s identity was already public knowledge.

If politics in Maine were any more dramatic, I’d need popcorn just to keep up. This story is clearly more than just about sports — it’s become a high-stakes showdown over policy, identity, and who gets to decide the rules of the game.