Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) is set to receive the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award, a nod from the group once called the RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights. The news was announced Thursday and shared with the Mills-friendly WMTW, prompting confusion and no small amount of laughter.
The RFK Human Rights team is recognizing Mills for her administration’s legal showdown over Maine Democrats refusal to abide by federal civil rights law, Title IX in particular.
The left-wing nonprofit framed the award around one particular part of that fight — the USDA freezing funding for Maine’s school nutrition programs. On May 2, a settlement was reached, with the Trump Administration and Mills effectively calling it a draw.
The U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit, announced by Attorney General Pam Bondi on April 16, is still alive and could well result in Maine losing substantial federal funding over Mills’ insistence that girls should be forced to play sports against male athletes who claim to be female.
Ironically, Mills will receive the human rights award for undermining the fundamental human rights of high school girls in Maine — all in the name of a policy a majority of Mainers do not support.
Historically the award has been given to those who advocate in favor of human rights. For example, in 2013 the award went to Ragia Omran, who has crusaded against sexual violence and unequal rights for women in Egypt.
