Courts and Crime

Maine Human Rights Commission adds Turner district to lawsuit challenging transgender policies

Maine Public | By Patty Wight

Published December 8, 2025 at 12:54 PM EST

A proposed ban on transgender athletes playing female school sports in Utah would affect transgender girls like this 12-year-old swimmer seen at a pool in Utah on Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. She and her family spoke with The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to avoid outing her publicly. She cried when she heard about the proposal that would ban transgender girls from competing on girls’ sports teams in public high schools, which would separate her from her friends. She’s far from the tallest girl on her team, and has worked hard to improve her times but is not a dominant swimmer in her age group, her coach said. “Other than body parts I’ve been a girl my whole life,” she said.

The Maine Human Rights Commission is suing a sixth school district, alleging discrimination against transgender students.

MSAD 52 in Turner was added to the lawsuit on Friday following a school board vote that aligns the district's policy with an executive order from President Donald Trump that seeks to ban transgender athletes from participating in girls' sports.

The Maine Human Rights Commission first filed a lawsuit in November against schools in Hodgdon, Sullivan, Livermore Falls, Baileyville and Richmond.

The Commission alleges the schools have adopted policies that violate state human rights law. It's asking a Kennebec County Superior Court judge to order the schools to repeal them.

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