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The deadline set by President Donald Trump’s administration for Minnesota to change its transgender athlete laws to protect women’s sports passed Friday as the state declined 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 Friday evening, saying it did not have a “substantive response” to the Trump administration’s requests 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 civil rights offices are furloughed. As a result, the Minnesota Department of Education will not provide any substantive response at this time,” 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 high school girls 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 and field team and women’s volleyball in Minnesota.
The letter from Ellison’s office also expressed that 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, with the athlete even giving media interviews.
Maine and California each declined similar ultimatums issued by the Trump administration earlier this year on this issue, and as a result, the Justice Department launched lawsuits against state education agencies and school sports leagues.
The lack of a 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 exclude men from women’s sports.
As of Friday evening, 253 school board members from 105 Minnesota school boards signed the letter, citing concerns about girls’ privacy and safety, as well as possible reductions in federal funding in response to the state’s noncompliance.
“As recipients of federal financial assistance, failure to correct these violations directly threatens the ability of our schools to serve our students and communities,” the letter from school board members read, 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 fairness in women’s sports is paramount. The federal decision highlights how allowing men to compete on women’s teams keeps female athletes off the podium, 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 athletics, without unfair physical advantages conferred by biological differences. By entering into the Resolution Agreement, MDE and MSHSL can ensure equal treatment and foster an environment in which female athletes can thrive. »
Ellison has already filed his own lawsuit against Trump and the DOJ for trying to enforce his policies aimed at protecting women’s sports in Minnesota. He also boasted “sue them first” regarding the question.
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Meanwhile, the situation involving the softball player has already resulted in another lawsuit filed by three teenage girls who had to compete against the trans pitcher.
The lawsuit was filed by three anonymous female athletes against Ellison, Minnesota State High School League Executive Director Erich Martens, Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero, and Minnesota Education Commissioner Willie Jett.
One of the anonymous complainants called out Ellison for supporting policies that allowed the trans pitcher to play against women.
“It’s really upsetting to know that. [Ellison] does not take the rights of girls and women seriously. He’s allowing boys to compete with girls, and it’s not safe and completely unfair,” the player told PK Press Club Digital. “To know that AG Ellison fully supports letting boys and men 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 run that saw the trans athlete pitch all 21 innings over 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 PK Press Club Digital what it was like to play against the trans athlete.
“Hitting 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 in, which makes it difficult to even want to hit against him,” the player said.
Former White Bear Lake High School softball player Kendall Kotzmacher previously told PK Press Club Digital that her loss to a trans pitcher in the state tournament left her in tears.
(Left) Tim Walz looks on. (Center) Kendall Kotzmacher looks on. (Right) U.S. President Donald Trump leaves after addressing senior military officers gathered at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Quantico, Virginia, September 30, 2025. (Getty Images/PK Press Club)
“How do you acknowledge that you lost to a biological male? How do you process these events that happened? And it was something all night, I still couldn’t do it. … We lost to a biological male in a girls’ state tournament,” Kotzmacher said.
Kotzmacher also highlighted Gov. Tim 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 big difference that exists between biological males and biological females,” Kotzmacher told PK Press Club Digital.
