Growing wave of Minnesota school officials urge state to protect girls' sports as Trump's deadline arrives

The list of Minnesota school board members who have signed a letter urging state agencies to protect girls' sports from trans athletes has multiplied since it launched earlier this week. 

As of Friday afternoon, the number of school board members to sign the letter was 245, spanning 104 school districts across the state. The same list had just around 40 signatures on Tuesday.

The added signatures come as the state faces a Friday deadline from the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) to amend its policies to keep biological males out of girls' sports. The DOE determined the state violated Title IX with its current policies at the end of September. 

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The letter is addressed to Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) Commissioner Willie Jett, Minnesota State High School League Executive (MHSSL) Director Erich Martens and board President Brett Schimek, and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. Gov. Tim Walz is copied on the letter.

"Compliance with Title IX is not only a legal obligation but also essential to maintaining the integrity of our educational and athletic programs," the letter reads. 

"Protecting fairness in women's sports is paramount. The federal determination highlights how permitting males to compete on female teams displaces female athletes from podiums, denies them advancement opportunities, and diminishes their visibility and recognition in competitions. 

"Female students in our districts and across Minnesota deserve equal chances to excel in sports, free from unfair physical advantages that biological differences confer. By entering into the resolution agreement, MDE and MSHSL can ensure equal treatment and foster an environment where female athletes can thrive."

Ellison responded to the letter, insisting that letting males in girls' sports, "doesn't harm anyone."

"School sports aren't just a good way to get exercise, they help kids build friendships, make them feel like they belong, and teach them important life lessons, like how to work as a team, how to treat their competition with respect, and how to win with grace and lose with dignity,"  Ellison said. "Letting the very small number of transgender students in Minnesota play on their school sports teams doesn't harm anyone, but segregating them does. Exclusion is a violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act, which has protected the rights of trans kids to participate in all extracurricular activities for decades.

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"I, too, am concerned about the Trump administration's threats to cut education funding for kids across Minnesota, but this matter is before the court right now," he added. "The federal government's threats violate the U.S. Constitution, Minnesota law, and Title IX itself. I'm fighting to prevent these harmful cuts, stop the Administration's bullying of transgender kids who just want to live their lives in peace, and protect the rights and freedoms of all our students in Minnesota."

Ellison's response comes despite the fact multiple girls' high school student-athletes in his state have spoken out about how the experience of facing trans athletes has impacted them, while some have even filed a lawsuit over the issue. 

Three anonymous girls filed a lawsuit against the state's education agencies in the spring after having to compete against a transgender softball pitcher. 

One of the plaintiffs previously told Fox News Digital about what it was like playing against the trans pitcher.

"This issue has affected me in ways that I never imagined. It's simply unfair, and I hate that nothing is happening to change that," the player said. "Boys should not be able to take girls' spots on teams just because they are capable of doing so. I hope that more girls affected by this issue will stand up against this."

Another anonymous player directly called out Ellison for supporting the policies that have allowed the trans pitcher to play against females.

"It's really upsetting to know that [Ellison] isn't taking the rights of girls and women seriously. He is allowing boys to compete with girls, and it is not safe and completely unfair," the player previously told Fox News Digital. "To know that AG Ellison is in complete support of letting boys and men take advantage of females in sports is absolutely disgusting and wrong."

Former White Bear Lake High School softball player Kendall Kotzmacher previously told Fox News Digital that losing to a trans pitcher in the state tournament left her in tears.

"How do you acknowledge that you lost to a biological male? How do you process those events that happened? And that was something that entire night, I still couldn't do it. … We lost to a biological male in a female state tournament," Kotzmacher said.

Kotzmacher also pointed out Walz's history as a high school football coach, and seeing the physical prowess of male high school athletes up close. 

"As a coach, you should see the differences and the vast difference that there are between biological males and biological females," Kotzmacher told Fox News Digital. 

If Minnesota's state agencies do not agree to an amendment with the Trump administration by the end of Friday, it will likely result in a lawsuit from the Department of Justice (DOJ). 

The DOJ has already filed similar lawsuits against Maine and California over the issue. 

The MDE and MSHSSL did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. 

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