The United States Department of Justice sued Minnesota and the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) on Monday, following through on warnings about legal action against the state for continuing to allow transgender athletes to compete in girls’ sports in violation of Title IX.

“The Department of Justice was right to file this lawsuit. It is another important step to protect the promise of Title IX for future generations of girls,” Senator Carla Nelson (Rochester) said. “When I was in high school, girls' sports came to my school because of Title IX. It changed my life. Every girl in Minnesota deserves that same opportunity I had. 

“Title IX was created to open doors for girls, and we must keep those doors wide open for generations to come,” Sen. Nelson added.

Senator Nelson is the chief author of the Preserving Girls’ Sports Act, which says every school-sponsored athletic team must be officially labeled as either male, female, or coeducational, based on biological sex at birth. The bill is a response to the MSHSL's current transgender athlete policy, which allows students to compete on teams consistent with their gender identity.

According to the Department of Justice, Minnesota receives $3 billion in federal funding for education each year. As a condition of this funding, Minnesota must comply with Title IX rules.

In September of 2025 the federal Education and HHS departments sent a notice to Minnesota demanding the state change its policy allowing transgender athletes to compete on girls’ teams. In January, those agencies referred the case to the DOJ for enforcement action.