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Federal officials said they were launching administrative proceedings to terminate grants to Maine after state officials refused to comply with the Trump administration's demand that Maine ban transgender athletes from girls' and women's sports.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins notified Gov. Janet Mills of the funding freeze last week, warning that "this is only the beginning" unless the state complies with the Trump administration's ban on transgender athletes.

Rep. Laurel Libby has been barred from speaking or voting on the House floor since last month since she was censured over controversial Facebook posts. But the Auburn Republican says that violates hers and her constituents' rights.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Education is giving Maine until April 11 to comply with the Trump administration's interpretation of Title IX.

Both SAD 51 and the Maine Principals' Association say they will continue to follow Maine's nondiscrimination law. But Attorney General Pam Bondi has already warned that Maine could face lawsuits unless it complied with Trump administration directives.

Maine's Democratic governor made the comments two days after the president demanded a "full throated apology" from her over their tense exchange at the White House last month over transgender athletes.

The president made the demand on Saturday, roughly one month after he and Gov. Janet Mills briefly clashed at the White House over Maine's policy of allowing transgender athletes to compete in women's sports.

It's just the latest notification of violation that Maine has received from the Trump administration's interpretation of Title IX, the federal law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in educational programs.

In a formal response, the Maine Principals' Association asserted that the Title IX investigation by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services lacks jurisdiction because the group does not receive federal funding.

Speakers at the "Girl First" rally want the state to prohibit transgender athletes from competing in girls' and women's sports — an issue that has landed Maine in the national spotlight during the past month.