The U.S. Department of Agriculture has frozen funding to the University of Maine System, it announced in an email that was obtained by the Bangor Daily News.
The notice on Monday from the Office of the Chief Financial Officer within the USDA came as the federal agency investigates the University of Maine System for allegedly violating federal civil rights law for allowing transgender women to play on women’s sports teams.
The email states that the office “has been directed to notify USDA awarding agencies and staff offices to temporarily no longer issue any payments or any other releases of funding” to both Columbia University in New York or the University of Maine System.
“This pause is temporary in nature while USDA evaluates if it should take any follow-on actions related to prospective Title VI or Title IX violations. Please take any necessary actions to effectuate this direction from leadership. This pause will remain in effect until further notice,” wrote Chelsea Cole, federal financial assistance department policy lead within the federal agency.
Title VI refers to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits recipients of federal funds from discriminating on the basis of race, color or national origin. Title IX is a federal law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in schools and education programs that receive federal funding.
On Feb. 22, the USDA announced it was launching a Title IX compliance review of the University of Maine. Three days later, USDA staff contacted the university system to ask questions, which the system responded to, a system spokesperson wrote in a statement.
The questions “were not specific to any one UMS university and largely focused on whether biological males could compete on women’s sports teams,” the spokesperson, Samantha Warren, wrote.
In responses to USDA on Feb. 25 and 26, the system confirmed its athletic programs were in compliance with state and federal laws and that system universities are members of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, which does not allow transgender women to compete in women’s sports.
“UMS had not received any further communication from USDA related to the Title IX compliance review since Feb. 26 until the email noting the funding pause was forwarded to the flagship on March 10. UMS is unaware of being subject to any compliance reviews by USDA or any other federal agencies pertaining to Title VI,” Warren wrote.
In fiscal year 2024, the USDA awarded $29.78 million to the University of Maine for research that benefited farmers, fishermen and foresters and others, Warren said.
She provided a list of current university activities funded by USDA, which may be temporarily paused due to the funding. They include:
— research into contamination on Maine farms from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS;
— the development of packaging materials derived from Maine’s forestry industry;
— potato breeding and varietal development;
— research into lobster population sustainability;
— research and training for farmers on how to manage pests and improve crop yields;
— selective breeding, including of salmon and shellfish, to increase production;
— development of building materials, including cross-laminated timber;
— support for 4-H youth leadership and other youth programs;
— education and outreach to livestock farmers on preparing for disease outbreaks;
— development of a bio-gel derived from Maine wood waste as a PFAS-free alternative to traditional firefighting foam; and
— assistance for Maine farms with succession planning.
“USDA’s temporary pause of direct funding to UMS that was communicated Monday is in addition to an earlier pause of funds that are awarded nationally through the Specialty Crop Block Grant program. Payments through that program, including to UMaine researchers who successfully competed for funding administered by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, were temporarily paused last month,” Warren said.
In addition, she said, the University of Southern Maine also has several active USDA awards.
U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree said she was appalled by the USDA’s “vindictive decision.”
“Not only did UMS receive this notification through email, rather than a more formal notification; it shared no findings, and offered no opportunity for a hearing. It fails to provide any sort of timeline or opportunities for recourse. Let’s be clear about what this latest funding freeze will do: It will hurt farmers and rural Mainers, it will halt critically-needed research innovation, and it will slash educational opportunities for students throughout Maine. Once again, it appears as though this Administration is targeting our state for retribution — all because our elected officials are standing up for the rule of law,” Pingree, a Democrat, wrote in a statement.
Erin Rhoda is the editor of Maine Focus. She may be reached at [email protected].
