The Trump administration announced it has launched an investigation into whether schools in Maine are violating federal law by continuing to allow transgender athletes to compete in high school sports against biological women.

The investigation, which could cost Maine schools $250 million in federal funding, was made public just hours after President Trump clashed with Maine Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat, over the state’s policy on transgender athletes at a White House event Friday.

In a letter to Main Department of Education Commissioner Pender Makin, the federal Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights said the probe will investigate allegations that Maine “continues to allow male athletes to compete in girls interscholastic athletics and that it has denied female athletes female-only intimate facilities, thereby violating federal antidiscrimination law.”

The letter said the OCR is probing Greely High School, where a transgender athlete who was born as a biological male won a girls’ state pole vaulting championship.

“Let me be clear: If Maine wants to continue to receive federal funds from the Education Department, it has to follow Title IX. If it wants to forgo federal funds and continue to trample the rights of its young female athletes, that too, is its choice. OCR will do everything in its power to ensure taxpayers are not funding blatant civil rights violators,” said Craig Trainor, acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights.

The announcement came just hours after Mr. Trump and Ms. Mills sparred face-to-face over his executive order banning biological males from competing in women’s sports.

During a meeting between Mr. Trump and a bipartisan group of governors, the president warned Ms. Mills to comply with his directive.

“Are you not going to comply with it?” Mr. Trump asked.

“I’m complying with state and federal laws,” Ms. Mills replied.

“We are the federal law,” Mr. Trump responded, threatening to revoke the state’s federal funding.

“We’re going to follow the law, sir. We’ll see you in court,” Ms. Mills responded.

“Enjoy your life after governor because I don’t think you’ll be an elected official afterwards,” the president fired back.

A biological boy, who identifies as a woman, took first place in pole vaulting at Maine’s Class B state championship this month, days after the state declared it would not enforce Mr. Trump’s executive order banning males from female sports at public schools.

The victory helped the Greely High School girls’ track and field team clinch the championship. The student competed in the same event as a boy just a year earlier, prompting outrage.

Maine state lawmaker Laurel Libby, a Republican, demanded the Trump administration investigate the victory.

Under the executive order signed Feb. 5 titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” the White House will rescind federal funds from “educational programs” if schools fail to adhere to the ban.

Maine officials have refused to enforce the executive order and is continuing to allow transgender athletes to participate in female sports, saying their decision is in accordance with the Maine Human Rights Act. The state law prohibits discrimination based on gender identity among other protected classes.

Ms. Mills said earlier Friday that her state “will not be intimidated by the president’s threats.”

“If the president attempts to unilaterally deprive Maine school children of the benefit of federal funding, my administration and the attorney general will take all appropriate and necessary legal action to restore that funding and the academic opportunity it provides,” she said in a statement.

Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey said that any effort by Mr. Trump to cut federal funding over gender issues “would be illegal and in direct violation of federal court orders.”

Mr. Frey, also a Democrat, said it was “disturbing that President Trump would use children as pawns in advancing his political agenda.”

“Any attempt by the President to cut federal funding in Maine unless transgender athletes are restricted from playing sports would be illegal and in direct violation of federal court orders,” Mr. Frey said. “Fortunately, though, the rule of law still applies in this country, and I will do everything in my power to defend Maine’s laws and block efforts by the President to bully and threaten us.”

Ms. Libby thanked Mr. Trump for his stance.

“Thank you, President Trump, for protecting girls’ sports in Maine and cleaning up the failures by both the Maine Principals’ Association and the Maine Democrat Majority who have refused to do so,” said Ms. Libby on Facebook. “It’s common sense; biological males should have no place in girls’ sports. With $280M+ per year on the line this shouldn’t be a hard choice for Maine Democrats.”

• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.

• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.