Minnesota AG Ellison rejects school boards’ plea, says trans athletes 'don’t harm anyone' ahead of DOE deadline
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison rejected pleas from more than 40 school board members urging the state to comply with a U.S. Department of Education deadline — tied to President Trump’s "Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports" order — to avoid potential federal funding cuts for districts serving more than 875,000 students, saying excluding the small number of transgender students from girls’ sports "doesn't harm anyone" and would violate the Minnesota Human Rights Act. Ellison has sued the Trump administration over the executive order and says he will fight funding threats, even as several girls’ softball players, including a White Bear Lake player who faced Champlin Park pitcher Marissa Rothenberger, have sued state agencies after competing against a transgender pitcher.
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📌 Key Facts
- The U.S. Department of Education set a Friday deadline for Minnesota to change its trans‑athlete policies or risk federal funding freezes, an enforcement step tied to President Trump’s Feb. 5 'Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports' executive order.
- More than 40 Minnesota school board members sent a letter to state leaders (including Willie Jett, Attorney General Keith Ellison and Education Commissioner Erich Martens) urging compliance to protect funding for more than 875,000 students; Prior Lake–Savage board member Lisa Atkinson warned the potential loss of funds is a serious threat to all students.
- Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said the administration’s funding threats violate the U.S. Constitution, Minnesota law and Title IX, has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over the executive order, and signaled he will not comply with the DOE’s deadline.
- Ellison publicly said allowing the small number of transgender students to play 'doesn’t harm anyone' and that segregating or excluding them from school sports would be harmful and would violate the Minnesota Human Rights Act.
- Three anonymous girls’ softball players have sued Minnesota state agencies after facing a trans pitcher identified as Marissa Rothenberger, who pitched for Champlin Park and helped lead the team to a championship.
- In a first‑person interview, Kendall Kotzmacher — the White Bear Lake High School player who faced Rothenberger in the Minnesota state tournament semifinal — said Rothenberger threw a complete‑game shutout and hit the winning double; Kotzmacher, now a freshman at Western Michigan University, described the emotional aftermath of the loss.
📚 Contextual Background
- The Office for Civil Rights is an office within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
- Debarment is a federal administrative process that can render an entity ineligible to receive federal grants.
- The Office for Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services referred Harvard University to a debarment process.
- The Office for Civil Rights sent a letter addressing the referral to Harvard President Alan Garber.
📰 Sources (4)
Minnesota attorney general says trans athletes in girls' sports 'doesn't harm anyone' despite complaints
New information:
- Minnesota AG Keith Ellison publicly stated that allowing the small number of transgender students to play 'doesn't harm anyone' and that segregating them does.
- Ellison asserted that excluding trans students from school sports violates the Minnesota Human Rights Act.
- Article reiterates Minnesota faces a Friday U.S. Department of Education deadline to change trans-athlete policies tied to President Trump’s 'Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports' executive order.
- Ellison has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over the executive order and signals opposition to complying with the DOE’s deadline.
Minnesota leadership faces calls from schools to protect girls' sports as Trump's Title IX deadline looms
New information:
- DOE set a Friday deadline for Minnesota to change its trans‑athlete policies or risk federal funding freezes.
- More than 40 Minnesota school board members sent a letter to state leaders (Willie Jett, Keith Ellison, Erich Martens) urging compliance to protect funding for 875,000+ students.
- Quote from Prior Lake–Savage board member Lisa Atkinson stressing protection for all students and the seriousness of potential funding loss.
- AG Keith Ellison said the administration’s funding threats violate the U.S. Constitution, Minnesota law, and Title IX, noting the matter is before the court and he is fighting the cuts.
- Cites Trump’s Feb. 5 'Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports' executive order as the enforcement basis for potential freezes.
- Notes three anonymous girls’ softball players have sued state agencies after facing a trans pitcher; identifies the trans athlete (Marissa Rothenberger) and her team’s championship.
Minnesota teen softball player opens up on trans pitcher playoff game as Trump admin vows Title IX enforcement
New information:
- First-person interview and direct quotes from Kendall Kotzmacher, the White Bear Lake High School player who faced the pitcher in the state tournament semifinal.
- Specific game details: it was a Minnesota state tournament semifinal; Kotzmacher says Champlin Park pitcher Marissa Rothenberger threw a complete-game shutout and came up to hit the winning double.
- Personal follow-up detail: Kotzmacher is now a freshman playing softball at Western Michigan University and describes the emotional aftermath of the loss.