The federal Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Civil Rights referred Maine to the Justice Department for enforcement of what it alleges are Title IX violations stemming from allowing transgender women to compete in women’s sports.

The office announced the referral in a post on social media shortly after 5 p.m.

“HHS will continue to protect women’s sports and keep the promises of Title IX for America’s women and girls,” the office said.

The announcement comes a day after Maine officials refused to sign a proposed agreement to stop allowing transgender athletes to compete in girls’ high school sports by a Thursday deadline.

The U.S. DHHS gave the state Department of Education, the Maine Principals’ Association and Greely High School in Cumberland 10 days comply with its ruling, after announcing early this month that it had found Maine to be out of compliance with the landmark ruling, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in educational programs that receive federal funding.

The proposed agreement would have ordered the MPA to rescind its policy of allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports. It would also order the DOE to bar schools from participating in events organized by the MPA, which oversees high school sports across the state.

Leaders of the MPA and high school both explicitly said they would not sign the agreement. The DOE did not state whether it had signed the agreement Thursday, and a spokesperson did not return a phone call and email requesting confirmation Friday evening.

Today, OCR referred Maine’s noncompliance with Title IX to @TheJusticeDept for enforcement in court for continuing to unlawfully allow males to compete against females. HHS will continue to protect women’s sports and keep the promises of Title IX for America’s women and girls.

— HHS Civil Rights (@HHSOCR) March 28, 2025

A spokesperson for Attorney General Aaron Frey’s office declined to comment Friday evening.

Spokespeople for Gov. Janet Mills did not return a request for comment Friday night. The Justice Department did not immediately return questions submitted through its media portal about its next steps and potential enforcement actions.

The DHHS investigation into Maine was one of several launched by federal agencies following a viral clash between Mills and President Donald Trump at a White House event last month.

The U.S. Department of Education presented Maine with another agreement after it, too, found the state to be in violation of Title IX over its transgender athlete policies. That notice also gave the state 10 days to comply — a deadline that comes Saturday.