Read the Texts and Emails of School Leaders Grappling with the Legality of Their New Transgender Student Policy

Maine school board's anti-trans policies 'shaped by conservative activists'

Newly public emails and text messages are offering an inside look at how one Maine school district pushed to restrict transgender students, as well as the role conservative activists played behind the scenes. A group of Maine residents used the state’s Freedom of Access Act to obtain hundreds of pages of communications which detailed how conservative groups such as Maine First shaped Regional School Unit 24’s policies regarding trans students, a…

Inside a Maine school district’s push to embrace Donald Trump’s stance on transgender students

Newly public records show that the Sullivan-based school district grappled with its decision to align its school Title IX policies with the Trump administration’s executive order to prevent transgender students from participating in sports.

Read the texts and emails of school leaders grappling with the legality of their new transgender student policy

Texts, emails and other documents show how school leaders in Sullivan-based RSU 24 handled the Title IX debate unfolding in their district behind the scenes. Screenshot of Dec. 9, 2025 RSU 24 school board meeting. Graphic by Stephanie McFeeters.Last year, Sullivan-based Regional School Unit 24 passed a resolution to ban transgender students from participating in sports or using bathrooms that match their gender identities, aligning itself with t…