Sen Collins makes stance on trans athletes in women's sports clear as Maine bucks Trump's executive order

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, made her stance clear on whether transgender athletes should compete in girls’ and women’s sports on Monday.

Collins said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital that a Maine state law that allows biological males to compete against girls and women is the antithesis to the "spirit and intent of Title IX."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

"I believe that the State of Maine is under scrutiny because of the state law that allows biological males to play in girls’ sports. And that is contrary, not just to the President's executive order, but what I believe is the very spirit and intent of Title IX, which was to provide sports and other athletic activities to girls in a safe and fair way," Collins wrote.

The state refused to comply with President Donald Trump’s executive order to keep biological males from competing in girls’ and women’s sports. The Health and Human Services Department’s Office of Civil Rights referred the state’s "noncompliance with Title IX" to the Justice Department on Friday.

"It is critically important to treat people who are transgender with respect and dignity. But that does not change the fact that Title IX, which was passed in 1972, has greatly expanded opportunities for girls and young women to participate in organized sports at the high school and college levels," Collins added. "It did so, in part, by mandating equal access to athletic resources and facilities on the basis of sex – not on the basis of gender identity. Safe and fair athletic competition has been one of the keys to the success of Title IX. That is why I do not believe that transgender athletes should compete in girls’ and women’s athletics.

"I will continue to advocate for Maine to receive its fair share of federal funding, something I have done successfully so far, but I support the original intent behind Title IX."

Maine school officials explained why they refused to comply with Trump’s executive order on Monday.

"The Maine Principals’ Association is bound by the law, including the Maine Human Rights Act (MHRA), which our participation policy reflects," officials wrote. "We are unable to sign any resolution agreement that would mandate we create a new policy that would violate the law and MHRA.

"As such, we have not signed and will not sign the resolution agreement sent by the Federal Department of Health and Human Services. With respect to the Federal Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights, resolution agreement, we were not a direct recipient of that agreement, so we are not required to respond."

MAINE SCHOOL OFFICIALS EXPLAIN WHY STATE WAS IN 'NONCOMPLIANCE WITH TITLE IX' AFTER REFERRAL TO DOJ

Maine School Administrative District 51 also pointed to the Maine Human Rights Act.

"The MSAD #51 Board of Directors is guided by the Mission, Vision, and Core Values of our district. This includes promoting a safe, caring and ethical learning environment where each person will be treated with respect and fairness; and individuals are recognized, valued and supported," its letter reads.

"To our students: Thank you for your maturity, perseverance, and dedication to learning through these distractions. Please continue to lead the way.

"To our teachers and staff: We deeply appreciate your unwavering commitment to our students. Your dedication makes a profound impact, and we are grateful for your resilience and compassion. Please note that no Board policies have changed at this time. We encourage you to continue supporting every student, socially and academically, as you always have."

The Maine Human Rights Act was amended four years ago to add gender identity as a protected class and specifically stated that denying a person an equal opportunity to participate in sports is discrimination against education. The Maine Principals’ Association updated its policy to allow athletes to compete against the gender they identify as last year.

A University of New Hampshire poll released Thursday showed that 64% of Maine residents believe transgender athletes "definitely should not" or "probably should not" participate in girls’ and women’s sports. Only 29% of Maine residents believed that transgender athletes "probably should" or "definitely should" compete against girls and women in sports.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills, Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey and Maine’s Education Department have not responded to requests for comment.

Fox News’ Julia Johnson and CB Cotton contributed to this report.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.