A legal fight is escalating between Maine’s school leaders and the U.S. Department of Justice after federal officials demanded the names of every student involved in school sports across the state. The request is tied to an ongoing lawsuit that seeks to block transgender athletes from participating in girls’ sports, but the Maine Principals’ Association argues the demand puts student privacy at risk.
The Justice Department filed suit against Maine in April, claiming the state has refused to enforce an executive order banning transgender athletes from competing on teams aligned with their gender identity. In preparation for trial, the DOJ issued a subpoena requiring the MPA to turn over athletic rosters and related documents from all interscholastic sports. School leaders argue that the scope of the request far exceeds the issue at hand and would force them to disclose personally identifiable information about thousands of students who are not involved in the dispute.
James Belleau, attorney for the MPA, urged the court to block the most sweeping parts of the subpoena. He said the association is willing to provide information that is narrowly tailored to the case but objects to handing over rosters that would expose the names of every student athlete in Maine. The filing highlights the legal obligation to protect students under federal privacy laws and warns that releasing such information could create risks far beyond the courtroom.
At the heart of the dispute is the question of whether the government’s demand is proportional to the case. The Justice Department insists the information is necessary to establish how many students may have competed in events that involved athletes of the opposite sex. The MPA counters that the request is nothing more than a fishing expedition and that the government could obtain relevant information without sweeping up data from uninvolved students.
The disagreement underscores the growing tension between state protections for transgender students and federal efforts to restrict their participation in sports. Maine has defended its policies under its Human Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on gender identity, while the Trump administration continues to argue that allowing transgender athletes into girls’ teams violates Title IX.
Parents and educators in Maine are watching closely, not only because of the implications for student athletes but also because of the precedent this case may set for how far federal agencies can go in demanding access to student records. Privacy concerns extend beyond embarrassment or stigma. If names and rosters were disclosed, families worry that the information could be misused, whether through public leaks, harassment, or other unintended consequences.
A federal judge will ultimately decide whether Maine’s school leaders must comply with the full scope of the DOJ’s demands. For now, the case highlights the difficult balance between national political battles over transgender rights and the very personal issue of keeping students safe in their local schools.
