A once-quiet coastal town has been thrown into turmoil after local officials voted to allow an 8-year-old biological boy who identifies as a girl to compete on a recreational girls’ basketball team, triggering a parent revolt, police-monitored meetings, and the creation of a costly private alternative league.
Parents say concerns surfaced immediately after learning a biological boy would be placed on the girls’ team.
“Initially, we were concerned,” Katy Miller, whose daughter previously played in the league, told Fox News Digital. “We talked to our daughters and kind of got a read from them on how they felt. And we were all in agreement that we were just not on board with this.”
The controversy came to a head at a November 10 St. George Select Board meeting, where parents urged officials to reverse course. Because the games are played in a public school gym, town leaders argued the matter fell under municipal authority.
State Enters Fray, Select Board Overrule School Board
Attorney Colin Hurd, representing the Maine Human Rights Commission, warned the board that state law prohibits municipalities from denying public services, including recreational sports, based on gender identity. He also noted that Maine law requires access to bathrooms and locker rooms that “most closely align” with a person’s gender identity.
Hurd acknowledged, however, that exceptions may exist.
“The commission does recognize that there may be occasions where the participation of a transgender person in athletic activities could pose a genuine risk of health and safety,” he said.
Parents argued that risk was already present.
“The biggest thing they were worried about was changing,” Miller said. “If they’re not using locker rooms, they’re using bathrooms. These girls did not want to change in front of a biological boy.”
The November 10 meeting drew a packed house, with residents sharply divided. Supporters claimed no physical advantage existed at such a young age. Opponents warned the decision undermined fairness, privacy, and common sense.
Despite the backlash, the select board voted 3–2 to allow the boy to continue playing.
The vote forced dissenting parents to pull their daughters from the town league and form a private girls’ team. The move came with higher costs, longer travel, and limited access to the school gym. Miller said the independent league is now last in line for scheduling.
“It has taken a toll,” she said. “But protecting these girls is more important than anything else.”
Miller said tensions escalated well beyond heated debate. She described police presence at meetings and online harassment, including messages telling her she should not be a mother and would be “better off dead.”
Lawmakers and Candidates Weigh In, Officials Defend Vote
State Rep. Laurel Libby (R) publicly backed the parents, calling the situation emblematic of a broader public backlash.
“The vast majority of Mainers don’t support biological males in girls’ sports,” Libby told Fox News Digital. “Most people support biological reality.”
Libby said while public opinion has shifted, ideological activists continue to push the issue.
“People have said, ‘absolutely not,’” she said. “And yet the radical left is doubling down on this conflict with reality. It’s a crazy hill to die on.”
Select Board member Steve Cartwright, who voted in favor of allowing the boy to play, said Maine law left the town with little choice.
“I am sorry that local parents are not more tolerant,” Cartwright said, adding that communities should not “exclude or punish” children based on gender identity.
Cartwright also said he was skeptical of parents’ claims that they received threats and blamed former President Donald Trump for what he described as a climate of “hate speech.”
The Maine Human Rights Commission did not respond to a request for comments from The Maine Wire.
On Wednesday evening, Dec. 17, 2025, the St. George School Committee met with a light agenda, and did take action on a new policy vote, but the gymnasium was filled during public comment.
Libby attended the meeting and told The Maine Wire that Gov. Janet Mills has failed to protect Maine girls, adding that “it’s great to see Maine parents stepping up and doing the work our supposed leaders should be doing.”
David Jones, a Republican candidate for governor, also spoke during public comment.
“It was great to see everyday Mainers standing up and applauding in support of Title IX,” Jones told The Maine Wire. “Title IX is crystal clear and was created to support and protect women. It must be enforced; it is our law of the land.”
Jones said schools must refocus on education rather than ideology, adding that momentum for a “common sense approach” is growing.
For now, St. George remains deeply divided, girls pushed into a private league, parents footing the bill, and a small Maine town serving as the latest flashpoint in a national fight over gender ideology, youth sports, and parental rights.
