Maine’s education office is being ordered to ban transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports or face federal prosecution, an escalation in President Donald Trump’s threats to pull federal money from states and schools over transgender athletes.

The president made the demand on Saturday, roughly one month after he and Gov. Janet Mills briefly clashed at the White House over Maine's policy of allowing transgender athletes to compete in women's sports.

The Maine Principals’ Association issued a response to the DHHS announcement that the state violated Title IX by letting trans athletes in girls sports.