The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has frozen over $5.7 million in federal funds designated for Maine’s child nutrition programs, including school meals, childcare centers, and after-school programs.

This action stems from a dispute over Maine’s policies regarding transgender athletes’ participation in school sports. The federal government maintains that a Maine law prohibiting discrimination against transgender people violates the civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in education.

And for that the Trump Administration is punishing school children by taking their meals away.

Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey filed a complaint in federal court on Monday:

“Under the banner of keeping children safe, the Trump administration is illegally withholding grant funds that go to keeping children fed,” Mr. Frey said in a statement, adding that “this action is necessary to remind the president that Maine will not be bullied into violating the law.”

These funds are vital for providing nutritious meals to hundreds of thousands of children across the state, many of whom rely on school meals as a primary source of daily nutrition. Withholding these funds jeopardizes the well-being of vulnerable students and places undue strain on educational institutions striving to support their communities.

We call on the USDA to immediately restore federal funding for Maine’s school meal programs.

Ensuring that all children have access to nutritious meals must remain a priority, irrespective of political disagreements.