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President Donald Trump’s administration’s deadline for Minnesota to amend its transgender athlete laws to protect women’s sports came and went Friday as the state rejected the ultimatum amid the ongoing government shutdown.
Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office sent a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights on Friday afternoon, saying it has no “substantial response” to the Trump administration’s demands to keep biological males out of women’s sports. Ellison’s letter also cited the current government shutdown for its lack of response.
“The federal government is currently closed and I understand that employees of both Offices of Civil Rights are furloughed. As a result, the Minnesota Department of Education will not be providing any substantive response at this time,” part of the letter read.
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The deadline was given to the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) and the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) after a transgender softball pitcher led a girls’ high school team to a state championship in the spring. But the Trump administration also cited cases of trans athletes competing in women’s alpine skiing, women’s Nordic skiing, women’s lacrosse, women’s track team and women’s volleyball in Minnesota.
The letter from Ellison’s office also said it was “disappointed that the Joint Letter included sensitive information about minors in a public document.” However, information about the trans softball pitcher has been public for months, as the athlete has even conducted interviews with the media.
Maine and California rejected similar ultimatums on the issue from the Trump administration earlier this year, and as a result, the Justice Department filed lawsuits against the state’s education agencies and school sports leagues.
The lack of substantive response from Ellison’s office to the ultimatum comes despite hundreds of Minnesota school board members writing an open letter urging the state to comply with Trump and change its policies to keep men out of women’s sports.
As of Friday night, 253 school board members across 105 Minnesota school boards had signed the letter, citing concerns about the girls’ privacy and safety, as well as potential federal funding cuts in response to the state’s noncompliance.
“As recipients of federal financial assistance, failure to correct these violations directly threatens our schools’ ability to serve our students and communities,” the school board members’ letter said, later adding: “Compliance with Title IX is not only a legal obligation but also essential to maintaining the integrity of our educational and athletic programs.
“Protecting equity in women’s sports is paramount. The federal determination highlights how allowing men to compete on women’s teams displaces female athletes from the podiums, denies them opportunities for advancement, and diminishes their visibility and recognition in competitions.
“Female students in our districts and across Minnesota deserve equal opportunities to excel in sports, free from the unfair physical advantages conferred by biological differences. By entering into the settlement agreement, MDE and MSHSL can ensure equal treatment and foster an environment where female athletes can thrive.”
Ellison has already filed her own lawsuit against Trump and the Department of Justice for attempting to enforce her policies to protect women’s sports in Minnesota. He has also boasted of “sue them first” regarding the topic.
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Meanwhile, the situation involving the softball player has already sparked another lawsuit from three teenagers who have had to compete against the trans pitcher.
The lawsuit was filed by three unnamed athletes against Ellison, Minnesota State High School League CEO Erich Martens, Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero and Minnesota Education Commissioner Willie Jett.
One of the anonymous complainants criticized Ellison for supporting policies that have allowed the trans pitcher to play against women.
“It’s really disturbing to know that [Ellison] is not taking the rights of girls and women seriously. “You’re allowing boys to compete with girls, and that’s not safe and it’s completely unfair,” the player previously told Pak Gazette Digital. “To know that AG Ellison fully supports allowing boys and men to take advantage of women in sports is absolutely disgusting and wrong.”
The trans athlete pitched a complete-game shutout, allowing just three hits and striking out six in the championship game, capping a career in which the trans athlete pitched all 21 innings in three state tournament games, allowing just two runs. The junior allowed just two runs in 35 total innings in the postseason.
One of the plaintiffs previously told Pak Gazette Digital what it was like to play against the trans athlete.
“Batting against him is not only a physical challenge but also a mental one. It’s a mental battle knowing that he has an advantage in the sport I grew up playing, which makes it difficult to even want to hit him,” the player said.
Former White Bear Lake High School softball player Kendall Kotzmacher She previously told Pak Gazette Digital that losing to a trans pitcher in the state tournament left her in tears.
(Left) Tim Walz watches. (Center) Kendall Kotzmacher watches. (Right) U.S. President Donald Trump departs after addressing senior military officials gathered at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Quantico, Virginia, Sept. 30, 2025. (Getty Images/Pak Gazette)
“How do you recognize that you lost to a biological man? How do you process those events that happened? And that was something all night, I still couldn’t do it… We lost to a biological man in a girls state tournament,” Kotzmacher said.
Kotzmacher also highlighted Gov. Tim Walz’s history as a high school football coach and saw up close the physical prowess of high school male athletes.
“As a coach, you should see the differences and the big difference there is between biological men and biological women,” Kotzmacher told Pak Gazette Digital.
