White House Puts MN 'On Notice' For Defying Trump On Trans Athletes

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said "Minnesota should be on notice" over its plan to defy President Donald Trump’s executive order banning transgender athletes from participating in girls' and women’s sports.

Last week, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison issued a legal opinion stating that the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) would violate state law if it complied with Trump’s executive order.

In response, Bondi on Tuesday warned Ellison that the Department of Justice will sue states that do not comply.

"Minnesota should be on notice," Bondi wrote in a letter acquired by Fox News, citing the Department of Education’s investigation into the MSHSL.

"If the Department of Education’s investigation shows that relevant Minnesota entities are indeed denying girls an equal opportunity to participate in sports and athletic events by requiring them to compete against boys, the Department of Justice stands ready to take all appropriate action to enforce federal law."

"I hope that it does not come to this," Bondi added. "The Department of Justice does not want to have to sue states or state entities, or to seek termination of their federal funds. We only want states and state entities to comply with the law. And federal law requires giving girls an equal opportunity to participate in sports and athletic events by ensuring that girls need to compete only with other girls, not with boys."

Ellison's opinion that drew the ire of the Trump administration followed a request from the MSHSL, which is under investigation by the Trump administration for allegedly failing to comply with federal law on transgender athletes in women’s and girls’ sports.

Ellison asserted that Trump’s recently executive order, "Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports," which bans transgender students from participating in extracurricular activities based on their gender identity, does not override anti-discrimination protections in the Minnesota Constitution or state law.

Ellison further stated that complying with the executive order would violate the Minnesota Human Rights Act.

Find the full opinion on the Attorney General’s website.

Scrutiny from the federal government came after FOX 9 published a letter that MSHSL sent to its member schools regarding Trump's executive order.

In it, the MSHSL recognized member schools for following state rules on transgender athletes and said it would review state laws in response to the new presidential executive order.

The Trump administration viewed the letter as an act of defiance, asserting that state laws cannot supersede federal anti-discrimination laws.

Federal officials emphasized that these entities and their member schools remain subject to Title IX and its implementing regulations.

The Trump administration said they are reviewing athletic participation policies at a number of schools to evaluate their compliance with Title IX protections for female athletes.

Patch has reached out to Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison's Office for comment.