USDA Freezes Funding for University of Maine Pending Civil Rights Review

USDA says it is weighing whether to take further steps to address the school’s potential violations of Title IX.

The Department of Agriculture in Washington on March 18, 2012. Reuters

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has paused all funding for programs in the University of Maine (UMaine) system, citing an ongoing review of potential civil rights violations.

A USDA spokesperson confirmed that the funding freeze amounts to $100 million in grants and contracts. UMaine officials said on March 11 they have received about $30 million for fiscal year 2024 so far.

According to the university, the withheld funds will affect a wide range of projects, including local 4-H youth leadership programs, agricultural and aquacultural research, and initiatives to help farmers and ranchers control pests and livestock diseases.

In an email to UMaine, the USDA explained that it is weighing whether to take further steps to address potential violations of Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination, and Title VI, which bars discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin. The department made it clear that the funding freeze will remain in place “until further notice” as the review continues.

The compliance review was formally launched on Feb. 22, just one day after a heated exchange between Maine Gov. Janet Mills and President Donald Trump at the White House.

During a gathering with the nation’s governors, Trump singled out Maine, warning that the state would jeopardize its federal funding by failing to comply with his executive order, which prohibits biological males from competing in women’s sports. Mills pushed back, challenging Trump to a legal battle by saying, “See you in court.”

“President Trump has made it abundantly clear: taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars will not support institutions that discriminate against women,” Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said in a statement.

The USDA’s action is part of a multi-agency response to Maine institutions following the governor’s public defiance.

The Department of Education has launched inquiries into both the Maine Department of Education and a local school district, alleging violations of federal anti-discrimination laws. The Department of Health and Human Services has also opened investigations into the state education department and the UMaine system.

The legal pressure escalated on Feb. 25, when Attorney General Pam Bondi sent a letter to Mills warning that Maine “should be on notice” for potential lawsuits and federal funding cuts. Just days later, on March 1, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration revoked a $4.5 million grant for UMaine’s marine research.

The UMaine is not alone in facing federal penalties. On March 7, a coalition of four federal agencies canceled a combined $400 million in grants and contracts to Columbia University for what they called its failure to protect Jewish students from anti-Semitic harassment on its New York City campus in the months following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack on Israel.

“Universities must comply with all federal anti-discrimination laws if they are going to receive federal funding,” Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement announcing the cancellations.