Maine Representative Laurel Libby (R) has faced a relentless battle in her effort to safeguard women’s and girls’ sports. From being silenced in the Maine House of Representatives to other forms of backlash, Libby has faced a number of challenges along the way. However, conservatives say, this is part of what makes the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) Monday announcement such a triumph — for both Libby and female athletes.

After conducting a thorough investigation, Trump’s OCR determined that Maine’s Department of Education, the Maine Principals Association, and Greely High School are all in violation of Title IX. As Fox News reported, “The Trump administration expanded its Title IX investigation into Maine last week, citing violations of President Trump’s executive order stating biological males are not allowed to compete in women’s sports in educational and athletic institutions.”

The investigation kicked off shortly after the Maine Principals Association publicly announced their plan to defy President Trump’s executive order. The agency gave all three entities in Maine 10 days “to resolve the matter through a signed agreement or risk referral to the U.S. Department of Justice for appropriate action.” In a press release following Monday’s decision, Acting Director of the Office of Civil Rights at HHS Anthony Archeval said, “The Maine Department of Education may not shirk its obligations under Federal law by ceding control of its extracurricular activities, programs, and services to the Maine Principals’ Association.”

He added, “We hope the Maine Department of Education, the Maine Principals’ Association, and Greely High School will work with us to come to an agreement that restores fairness in women’s sports.” If they do not eventually follow in line, millions of dollars worth of federal funding are at risk. Trump has warned that any school that chooses to defy his Title IX rule risks the same financial consequence.

On a recent edition of “Washington Watch,” Family Research Council’s Jody Hice sat down with Libby to discuss the significance of standing firm in her beliefs. She recounted the cost of her position. “My Democrat colleagues in the House … censured me, essentially muzzling me, and completely disenfranchising the 9,000 constituents that I represent in Augusta” simply for speaking against men participating in girls’ sports. As a result, she added, “I can no longer vote or speak on the floor.”

“That’s just unbelievable to me,” added Hice. “I mean, your constituents … elected you to represent them, to speak on their behalf, to fight for the values that they all hold and to vote for them. And so, it’s just stunning to me what your Democratic colleagues have done.” Libby agreed but noted that she and those who support her are continuing the fight “to get my voice and my vote back so that I can represent my district once more.” And as Hice noted, “it’s not like you did some heinous crime.”

“You know,” Libby said, “the Democrats in Maine that are in power in Augusta don’t want to have a conversation about this policy because they know that it’s wildly unpopular. We’ve seen that in the polling around the country, where 80% of folks don’t believe that biological males should be able to participate in girls’ sports.” And yet, “rather than having a policy debate, they’ve simply tried to cancel me in order to shut down the conversation around girls’ sports and ensuring that they have a safe, fair, and level playing field.”

“So,” Hice asked, “have any of your Democratic colleagues responded to your actions? Have any of them reached out to you?” According to Libby, “They really operate as a block — one voice.” She’s spoken to a few Democratic colleagues since her censure who explained that they believe “it’s completely warranted. … I don’t see an end to the censure coming from the Democrat majority or the speaker of the House.” The only way forward, she explained, “is through action here in the courts and having our day in court and ensuring that they have a voice and vote.”

Since this controversy isn’t exclusive to Maine, Hice asked, “What would be your advice … for other state legislators who may be under some pressure similar to this? Why is it important to make this stand for women and women-only spaces?” Libby replied emphatically, “We absolutely have to take a stand.” She noted that there are “a number of young women in our state who have been dealing with this, whether it was being injured on the field of play or having an unfair competition where they were beaten by a biological male and they’re afraid to speak up.”

It’s because of these instances, she concluded, that “they need to see us being the example. And I would encourage other state legislators to do the same: make a stand for these young ladies and help ensure that in the future they have a safe, fair, and level playing field.”