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The decision came after Minnesota refused to sign a Resolution Agreement addressing federal violations of Title IX. Federal investigators concluded last September that both the Minnesota Department of Education and the Minnesota State High School League had violated federal law by allowing boys to compete in girls’ sports beginning in 2023.
Minnesota officials rejected the agreement outright.
By December, state leaders made it clear they would not negotiate at all.
That refusal triggered the DOJ referral, opening the door for the federal government to terminate education and health funding to the state.
A Softball Tournament That Changed Everything
The federal investigation was sparked by a high profile case involving a transgender athlete competing in Minnesota girls’ softball.
A 6 foot biological male pitcher named Marissa Rothenberger dominated the girls’ division while playing varsity softball for Champlin Park High School.
Rothenberger pitched every inning of the 2025 state tournament. Across five games, the pitcher allowed just one earned run and struck out 27 female athletes.
Champlin Park won the championship game 6 to 0.
During a semifinal loss, one White Bear Lake player turned to her father in the stands and asked, “Why can’t you do something?”
That moment quickly became emblematic of the controversy.
Federal Review Finds Systemic Violations
According to federal investigators, the Champlin Park case was not an isolated incident.
The Minnesota State High School League allowed biological males to compete in girls’ Alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, lacrosse, track and field, volleyball, and softball across multiple seasons.
The league’s policy allows participation based on gender identity or expression rather than biological sex.
Minnesota’s Department of Education compounded the issue by publishing a 2017 guidance document falsely claiming Title IX required schools to allow transgender athletes to compete according to gender identity.
State officials argued that Minnesota law superseded federal protections.
The Trump administration rejected that argument.
Walz Doubles Down Despite Federal Risk
Rather than adjusting course, Governor Walz publicly defended the policy even after the investigation was underway.
In June, Walz traveled to California and criticized Democrats who questioned transgender participation in girls’ sports.
At the California Democratic Convention, Walz accused critics of throwing “trans children under the bus” and framed the issue as one of “human dignity.”
At the time, Walz knew Minnesota faced the possibility of losing federal funding.
His office later dismissed the Title IX enforcement action as “purely a distraction.”
Funding Now On The Line
With the DOJ referral finalized, Minnesota now risks losing hundreds of millions of dollars in federal education and healthcare funding.
McMahon linked the Title IX dispute to broader leadership failures in the state, referencing Minnesota’s massive Feeding Our Future scandal.
That case involved roughly 250 million dollars in fraud connected to federal nutrition programs.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison previously sued the Trump administration over executive orders restricting transgender participation in girls’ sports. Every major Democratic leader in the state supported the challenge.
Not a single Democrat in the Minnesota Legislature voted for legislation that would have restricted girls’ sports to biological females.
Minnesota Becomes The Test Case
Minnesota declared itself a transgender refuge state in 2023.
Now it has become the test case for federal enforcement.
Trump’s executive order titled Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports was signed on February 5, 2025, directing federal agencies to enforce Title IX protections nationwide.
Other states are watching closely.
California and Maine face similar federal scrutiny.
Minnesota chose confrontation over compliance.
Now the Department of Justice will decide the cost of that decision.
For the girls who trained for years, the parents who watched helplessly, and taxpayers funding these programs, the message from Washington is clear.
Title IX is not optional.
