Attorney General Keith Ellison launched a federal lawsuit against President Donald Trump designed to halt the Trump administration’s efforts to protect distinctions between men and women.
Earlier this year, President Trump signed an executive order which stated that the policy of the United States is to recognize that there are only two unchangeable sexes; male and female. In turn, the order directed the federal government to institute policies that reflect this reality.
Further, the president signed another executive order which instructed schools to adhere to Title IX, a federal law that requires federally funded schools to give females an equal opportunity to participate in sports. In that order, schools were warned that they risk losing their federal funding if they do not protect female-only sports from biological males.
Despite these directives, Ellison issued a formal legal opinion in the following weeks which stated that the Minnesota Human Rights Act (MHRA) establishes a ban on gender identity discrimination in Minnesota, and schools that comply with Trump’s executive action on sports would be in violation of state law.
Since then, the U.S. Justice Department has repeatedly instructed Minnesota to abide by federal law or risk facing legal action or loss of federal funds. As such, Ellison launched a preemptive lawsuit against the Trump administration which accuses the president of “bullying vulnerable children.”
In his legal filing, the attorney general argues that the president does not have the power to shut off federal funding established by Congress, executive orders do not supersede the laws of Minnesota, and the Trump administration is in violation of Title IX.
Much of the lawsuit hinges on the interpretation of Title IX.
In short, the text of Title IX bans discrimination in education programs “on the basis of sex” and makes no reference to “gender identity.” However, Democrats have argued that men who identify as women are covered by the protections Title IX affords.
The Biden administration previously interpreted Title IX to include a ban against gender identity discrimination, thus allowing males to compete in sporting events designated for females. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has stated that Title IX specifically preserves spaces for women based on actual sex.
In his lawsuit, Ellison says the Trump administration is discriminating “on the basis of sex, in violation of Title IX, by requiring the recipients of federal funds to categorically ban all transgender women and girls from participating in sports that align with their gender identity.”
As such, the attorney general asked the court to declare unconstitutional Trump’s executive orders on this matter.
“Trump’s unconscionable attack on this small number of vulnerable children is bullying, plain and simple,” said Ellison in a statement. “His burning desire to destroy trans kids and punish us for helping them live and thrive isn’t just a violation of the law—it’s a violation of Minnesota values.”
Alpha News reached out to the U.S. Department of Justice seeking comment. However, the agency did not reply.
In a letter U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi had previously sent to Ellison, Bondi informed the Minnesota attorney general that the U.S. Constitution stipulates that federal law is “the supreme Law of the Land,” Minnesota law is irrelevant in this case, and states are expected to follow federal law when there is a conflict between state and federal law.
“It’s extremely disappointing that Attorney General Ellison would rather risk federal funding and file yet another taxpayer funded lawsuit against the Trump administration than simply do the right thing and keep boys out of girls sports,” said Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, R-Cold spring.
“It’s a waste of taxpayer money to further a political agenda that makes girls less safe and makes sports less fair.”
Ellison asked about Moorhead case
In a Fox 9 interview, anchor Amy Hockert read a question from a parent in the Moorhead school district, who said “a biological male recently took first place in the girls’ triple jump and is now in the school records for three girls’ events.”
“Is it fair to the girls who have trained hard only to lose out to athletes with clear biological advantages?” the parent asked.
Ellison said he was unaware of the case but that trans athletes “don’t care about winning; they just want to be on the team.”
“We’re talking about kids who have always identified as female, never have identified any other way, and they just want to be on the team,” he said.
Ellison said he would look into the Moorhead situation. Alpha News reached out to the district but it said it cannot comment on the specific case due to privacy laws. “Moorhead Area Public Schools is committed to creating a safe and inclusive learning environment for all students,” the district said.
The post Minnesota House speaker blasts Ellison’s trans sports lawsuit: ‘Makes girls less safe’ appeared first on Alpha News MN.
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Author: Luke Sprinkel
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