778 F.Supp.3d 200

D. Me.

2025

ORDER ON MOTION FOR TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER

I. AN OVERVIEW1

II. BACKGROUND

A. Procedural History

B. Factual Record5

1. The Parties

2. Title IX

3. USDA's Title IX Regulations

4. President Trump's Executive Orders

5. President Trump's Statements Regarding Maine

6. President Trump's Exchange with Governor Mills

7. United States Department of Agriculture Determines Maine's Noncompliance with Title IX and Immediately Freezes Funds

8. The Impact of USDA's Action

iii. NTIG

iv. National School Lunch Program Equipment Assistance Grants

v. Farm to School Formula Grant

d. Impact of Funding Freeze on CNP's Programming

III. THE PARTIES' POSITIONS

A. The State of Maine's Motion for TRO

1. Likelihood of Success on the Merits

2. Irreparable Harm

3. The Balance of the Equities and the Public Interest

B. The Federal Defendants' Response

1. Likelihood of Success on the Merits

2. Risk of Irreparable Harm

3. Balance of the Equities and the Public Interest

C. The State of Maine's Reply

1. Likelihood of Success on the Merits

2. Irreparable Harm

3. Balance of the Equities and the Public Interest

IV. LEGAL STANDARD

V. DISCUSSION

A. Likelihood of Success on the Merits

1. Availability of Judicial Review Under the APA

2. The Merits of the APA Argument9

B. Likelihood of Irreparable Harm

C. The Balance of the Equities and the Public Interest12

VI. SUMMARY

VII. BOND REQUIREMENT

VIII. CONCLUSION

Notes

STATE OF MAINE v. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, et al.

1:25-cv-00131-JAW

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF MAINE

April 11, 2025

Document 12

ORDER ON MOTION FOR TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER

The state of Maine requests a temporary restraining order to enjoin the United States Department of Agriculture and the United States Secretary of Agriculture from terminating, freezing, or otherwise interfering with the State‘s access to federal funds based on alleged Title IX violations without following the process required by federal statute. Concluding the plaintiff has demonstrated a likelihood of success on the merits of its claim that the defendants’ actions were taken without observance of procedure required by law, and further that the State has established a likelihood of irreparable harm absent emergency injunctive relief and the other factors weigh in its favor, the court grants the plaintiff‘s motion. The court orders the defendants to immediately unfreeze and release to the state of Maine any federal funding that they have frozen or failed or refused to pay because of the State‘s alleged failure to comply with the requirements of Title IX. The court further bars the defendants from freezing, terminating, or otherwise interfering with the State‘s future federal funding for alleged violations of Title IX without complying with the legally required procedure. Finally, within seven days of the date of this order, the court orders the state of Maine to provide security pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 65(c).

I. AN OVERVIEW¹

On April 2, 2025, Brooke Rollins, Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), wrote to state of Maine Governor Janet Mills and informed Governor Mills that Secretary Rollins on behalf of USDA (collectively, the Federal Defendants) was “freezing Maine‘s federal funds for certain administrative and technological functions in schools.” Am. Compl. (Verified) ¶ 69 (ECF No. 8) (Verified Compl.) (quoting id., Attach. 14, Ex. N: 4/2/2025 Letter from Brooke L. Rollins (Rollins Letter)). Secretary Rollins explained that her decision was based on a disagreement between the federal and state governments about whether the state of Maine was complying with Title IX,² the federal law that, among other things, prohibits sex-based discrimination in educational programs receiving federal assistance. Id. (quoting Rollins Letter). On April 3, 2025, the day after Governor Mills received Secretary Rollins‘s letter, the Maine Department of Education‘s (MDOE) Child Nutrition Program (CNP) was unable to access several sources of federal funds, State of Me.‘s Mot. for Emergency TRO, Attach. 1, Decl. of Jane McLucas ¶ 12 (ECF No. 3) (McLucas Decl.); Verified Compl. ¶ 86, and on April 7, 2025, the state of Maine filed a complaint and motion for emergency injunction,

seeking a court order requiring the USDA to reinstitute federal funding of the frozen CNP initiatives. Compl. (ECF No. 1); State of Me‘s Mot. for Emergency TRO (Mot. for TRO); see also Verified Compl.

In ruling on the State‘s request, the Court is not weighing in on the merits of the controversy about transgender athletes that forms the backdrop of the impasse between the State and the Federal Defendants. Verified Compl. ¶ 3 (“There is no need . . . for the Court to interpret Title IX here (at least not in this lawsuit)“). This lawsuit raises two primary questions, both narrow: (1) if the USDA wishes to withhold appropriated funds to a state, whether there are regulatory steps it must follow before doing so, and (2) in the instant case, whether the Federal Defendants complied with those procedures. The Court quickly resolved these questions in favor of the State. In fact, the Federal Defendants have not argued in this case that the relevant federal laws and regulations for terminating federal funding of state programs do not apply to this situation, nor do they claim that they complied with the applicable federal law in the events resulting in this litigation.

Instead, in response to the State‘s request for emergency injunctive relief, the Federal Defendants have raised two primary defenses: (1) that this Court does not have jurisdiction to hear this lawsuit, and (2) that the State has failed to allege irreparable harm, which is a critical element before a court may issue an injunction. Here, the Court resolves both these issues in favor of the State. To make certain, however, that the laws and regulations the State has alleged the Federal Defendants failed to follow are applicable, the Court briefly reviewed those regulations before concluding that the Federal Defendants froze the appropriated funds without observance of procedure required by law.

II. BACKGROUND

A. Procedural History

On April 7, 2025, the State filed in this Court a civil complaint against the USDA and Brooke Rollins, in her official capacity as United States Secretary of Agriculture, alleging the Federal Defendants violated the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), codified at 5 U.S.C. §§ 701-706, by withholding disbursement of federal funds allocated to Maine to feed schoolchildren in what the Federal Defendants termed a “freeze” based on their conclusion that the State‘s policies regarding transgender student athletes is in violation of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. §§ 1681-1688. Compl. The State filed an amended, verified complaint on April 8, 2025. Verified Compl.³

The State moved the Court to issue an order temporarily restraining the Federal Defendants “from terminating, freezing, or otherwise interfering with

Maine‘s access to federal funds allocated to Maine based on Maine‘s alleged violation of Title IX without complying with the requisite statutory and regulatory procedures” on April 7, 2025. Mot. for TRO. In support, the State attached a sworn declaration of Jane McLucas, the Child Nutrition Director of the MDOE, to its motion for temporary restraining order (TRO). McLucas Decl.

On April 8, 2025, the Court set an expedited briefing schedule with the Federal Defendants’ response due by midnight on April 9, 2025 and the State‘s reply by 11:00 a.m. on April 10, 2025. Min. Entry (ECF No. 7).⁴ Federal Defendants responded on April 9, 2025, attaching a sworn declaration from Shiela Corley, Chief of Staff for the Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services subagency of USDA. Opp‘n to State of Me.‘s Mot. for Emergency TRO (ECF No. 10) (Defs.’ Opp‘n); id., Attach. 1, Decl. of Shiela Corley (Corley Decl.). The State replied on April 10, 2025. State of Me.‘s Reply in Support of Mot. for Emergency TRO (ECF No. 11) (Pl.‘s Reply).

B. Factual Record⁵

For the purposes of the requested TRO, the Court reviews the relevant facts as pleaded in the verified complaint and the declarations submitted by the parties, which the Court takes as true at this stage of the proceeding.⁶

1. The Parties

The state of Maine is a sovereign state of the United States of America. Verified Compl. ¶ 6. The State is represented in this litigation by Aaron M. Frey, the Attorney General of Maine, who is authorized to pursue this action pursuant to 5 M.R.S. § 191. Id.

The United States Department of Agriculture is a cabinet-level agency within the executive branch of the United States government. Id. ¶ 7. Brooke Rollins is the Secretary of Agriculture and the highest-ranking official of the USDA. Id. ¶ 8.

2. Title IX

Title IX provides, in relevant part, that “[n]o person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” Id. ¶ 9 (quoting 20 U.S.C. § 1681(a)).

To enforce Title IX, Congress “authorized and directed” every federal agency providing financial assistance to education programs or activities to “effectuate the provisions of” 20 U.S.C. § 1681 “by issuing rules, regulations, or orders of general applicability.” Id. ¶ 11 (quoting 20 U.S.C. § 1682). Congress authorized federal agencies to enforce compliance with the requirements of their respective Title IX rules and regulations “by the termination of or refusal to grant or to continue [financial] assistance . . . to any recipient as to whom there has been an express finding on the record, after opportunity for hearing, of a failure to comply with such requirement” or “by any other means authorized by law.” Id. ¶ 12 (quoting 20 U.S.C. § 1682).

Before taking an action to terminate, or to refuse to grant or continue, federal financial assistance, an agency must first “file with the committees of the House and Senate having legislative jurisdiction over the program or activity involved a full written report of the circumstances and the grounds for such action,” and “[n]o such action shall become effective until thirty days have elapsed after the filing of such report.” Id. ¶ 13 (quoting 20 U.S.C. § 1682). Any action by a department or agency terminating financial assistance is subject to judicial review. Id. ¶ 14 (citing 20 U.S.C. § 1683).

3. USDA‘s Title IX Regulations

USDA‘s regulations implementing Title IX, as codified at 7 C.F.R. Part 15a, require covered entities to “provide equal athletic opportunity for members of both sexes,” and do not expressly address the participation of transgender athletes in athletic programs. Id. ¶¶ 15, 16 (quoting 7 C.F.R. § 15a.450).

USDA‘s regulations for enforcing Title IX adopt USDA‘s procedures for enforcing Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Id. ¶ 17 (citing 7 C.F.R. § 15a.605 (adopting and applying 7 C.F.R. §§ 15.5-15.11, 15.60-15.143)). Under these enforcement regulations, USDA “shall to the fullest extent practicable seek the cooperation of recipients in obtaining compliance with the regulations and this part and shall provide assistance and guidance to recipients to help them comply voluntarily with the regulations in this part.” Id. ¶ 18 (quoting 7 C.F.R. § 15.5).

“In the event of noncompliance, [USDA] shall seek to secure voluntary compliance by all appropriate means.” Id. ¶ 19 (quoting 7 C.F.R. § 15.5). If there appears to be noncompliance, and it cannot be corrected by informal means, compliance can be effected “by the suspension or termination of or refusal to grant or to continue Federal financial assistance, upon a finding, in accordance with the procedure hereinafter prescribed, by any other means authorized by law.” Id. ¶ 20 (quoting 7 C.F.R. § 15.8(a)). The regulations non-exhaustively define “other means” to include: “(1) a reference to the Department of Justice with a recommendation that appropriate proceedings be brought to enforce any rights of the United States under any law of the United States (including other titles of the Act), or any assurance or other contractual undertaking, and (2) any applicable proceeding under State or local law.” Id. ¶ 21 (quoting 7 C.F.R. § 15.8(a)). The regulations state:

No order suspending, terminating, or refusing to grant or to continue Federal financial assistance shall become effective until (1) the Agency has advised the applicant or recipient of his failure to comply and has determined that compliance cannot be secured by voluntary means, (2) there has been an express finding on the record, after opportunity for hearing, of a failure by the applicant or recipient to comply with the requirement imposed by or pursuant to the regulations in this part, (3) the action has been approved by the Secretary pursuant to § 15.10(e), and (4) the expiration of 30 days after the Secretary has filed with the committee of the House and the committee of the Senate, having legislative jurisdiction over the program involved, a full written report of the circumstances and the grounds for such action.

Id. ¶ 22 (quoting 7 C.F.R. § 15.8(c)).

The regulations provide further that “[a]ny action to suspend or terminate or to refuse to grant or to continue Federal financial assistance shall be limited to the particular political entity, or part thereof, or other applicant or recipient as to whom such a finding has been made and shall be limited in its effect to the particular program, or part thereof, in which such noncompliance has been so found.” Id. ¶ 23 (quoting 7 C.F.R. § 15.8(c)). In addition, 7 C.F.R. § 15.8(d) specifies:

No action to effect compliance by any other means authorized by law shall be taken until (1) the Secretary has determined that compliance cannot be secured by voluntary means, (2) the recipient or other person has been notified of its failure to comply and of the action to be taken to effect compliance, and (3) the expiration of at least ten days from the mailing of such notice to the recipient or other person. During this period of at least ten days, additional efforts shall be made to persuade the recipient or other person to comply with the regulations in this part and to take such corrective action as may be appropriate.

Id. ¶ 24 (quoting 7 C.F.R. § 15.8(d)).

4. President Trump‘s Executive Orders

a. Executive Order 14168

President Donald J. Trump was sworn in as President of the United States on January 20, 2025. Id. ¶ 32. On the same day, President Trump issued Executive Order 14168, titled “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government” (Executive Order 14168), which declares “[i]t is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female. These sexes are not interchangeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality.” Id. ¶¶ 33-34 (citing and then quoting Exec. Order No. 14168, 90 Fed. Reg. 8615 (Jan. 20, 2025) (Exec. Order No. 14168)) (citation corrected).

Executive Order 14168 states “[s]ex’ shall refer to an individual‘s immutable biological classification as either male or female,” and “[s]ex] is not a synonym for and does not include the concept of ‘gender identity.” Id. ¶ 35 (quoting Exec. Order No. 14168). It defines “women” and “girls” as “adult and juvenile human females, respectively,” and defines “female” as “a person belonging, at conception, to the sex that produces the large reproductive cell.” Id. ¶ 36 (quoting Exec. Order No. 14168). “Men” and “boys” are defined as “adult and juvenile human males, respectively,” and “male” is defined further to mean “a person belonging, at conception, to the sex that produces the small reproductive cell.” Id. ¶ 37 (quoting Exec. Order No. 14168).

b. Executive Order 14201

On February 5, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order 14201, entitled “Keeping Men Out of Women‘s Sports” (Executive Order 14201). Id. ¶ 38 (quoting Exec. Order No. 14201, 90 Fed. Reg. 9279 (Feb. 20, 2025) (Exec. Order No. 14201)) (citation corrected). Executive Order 14201 incorporates by reference the definitions of Executive Order 14168 and posits “[i]n recent years, many educational institutions and athletic associations have allowed men to compete in women‘s sports. This is demeaning, unfair, and dangerous to women and girls, and denies women and girls the equal opportunity to participate and excel in competitive sports.” Id. ¶¶ 39-40 (citing and then quoting Exec. Order No. 14201).

Executive Order 14201 announces “it is the policy of the United States to rescind all funds from educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities, which results in the endangerment, humiliation, and silencing of women and girls and deprives them of privacy.” Id. ¶ 41 (quoting Exec. Order No. 14201). It directs the United States Secretary of Education to “prioritize Title IX enforcement actions against educational institutions (including athletic associations composed of or governed by such institutions) that deny female students an equal opportunity to participate in sports and athletic events by requiring them, in the women‘s category, to compete with or against or to appear unclothed before males,” and further instructs that “[a]ll executive departments and agencies . . . shall review grants to educational programs and, where appropriate, rescind funding to programs that fail to comply with the policy established in this order.” Id. ¶¶ 42-43 (quoting Exec. Order No. 14201).

5. President Trump‘s Statements Regarding Maine

On February 20, 2025, President Trump stated at a gathering of Republican governors that he heard “men are still playing in Maine.” Id. ¶ 45 (quoting Donald Trump, Pres. of the United States, Remarks by Pres. Trump at Republican Govs. Ass‘n Meeting (Feb. 20, 2025)) (Pres. Trump Feb. 20, 2025 Remarks) (citation corrected). He continued, “well, I hate to tell you this, but we‘re not going to give them any federal money. They are still saying we want men to play in women‘s sports, and I can‘t believe that they‘re doing that . . . so we‘re not going to give them any money—none whatsoever—until they clean that up.” Id. (quoting Pres. Trump Feb. 20, 2025 Remarks).

6. President Trump‘s Exchange with Governor Mills

The next day, President Trump addressed a group of governors, including Maine Governor Janet Mills, at a meeting of the National Governors Association. Id. ¶ 46 (citing Rachel Ohm & Randy Billings, Trump Admin. Orders Investigation After Gov. Mills Publicly Defies Pres. Over Transgender Pol‘y, PORTLAND PRESS HERALD, Feb. 21, 2025 (updated Feb. 22, 2025), https://www.pressherald.com/2025/02/21/trump-threatens-to-cut-federal-funding-to-maine-over-transgender-athlete-policy/) (Press Herald Feb. 21, 2025 art.) (citation corrected)).

At this meeting, President Trump asked Governor Mills whether she was going to comply with Executive Order 14201; she responded, “I‘m complying with state and federal law.” Id. ¶ 47 (quoting Press Herald Feb. 21, 2025 art.). President Trump said, “Well, we are the federal law. You‘d better do it. You‘d better do it, because you‘re not going to get any federal funding at all if you don‘t.” Id. (quoting Press Herald Feb. 21, 2025 art.). Governor Mills responded, “See you in court,” to which President Trump replied, “I look forward to that—that should be a real easy one.” Id. (quoting Press Herald Feb. 21, 2025 art.). President Trump subsequently said that he “need[s] a full[-]throated apology from the Governor herself, and a statement that she will never make such an unlawful challenge to the Federal Government again, before this case can be settled.” Id. ¶ 48 (quoting Steff Danielle Thomas, Trump presses Me. gov. for ‘full throated apology’ after transgender athlete spat, THE HILL, Mar. 22, 2025, https://thehill.com/homenews/lgbtq/5208797-donald-trump-maine-governor-transgender-sports-policy/) (citation corrected) (The Hill Mar. 22, 2025 art.).

7. United States Department of Agriculture Determines Maine‘s Noncompliance with Title IX and Immediately Freezes Funds

a. Secretary Rollins‘s April 2, 2025 Letter to Governor Mills

On April 2, 2025, Governor Mills received a letter from Secretary Rollins, dated the same day, stating, in relevant part:

You cannot openly violate federal law against discrimination in education and expect federal funding to continue unabated. Your defiance of federal law has cost your state, which is bound by Title IX in educational programming. Today, I am freezing Maine‘s federal funds for certain administrative and technological functions in schools. This is only the beginning, though you are free to end it at any time by protecting women and girls in compliance with federal law.

Id. ¶ 67 (quoting Rollins Letter). The MDOE received a copy of this letter on the same day. McLucas Decl. ¶ 11.

Secretary Rollins‘s letter continued that USDA “is additionally reviewing all research and education-related funding in Maine for compliance with the Constitution, federal laws including Titles VI and IX, and the priorities of the Trump Administration.” Verified Compl. ¶ 70 (quoting Rollins Letter). “In order to continue to receive taxpayer dollars from USDA, the state of Maine must demonstrate compliance with Title IX‘s protection of female student athletes from having to compete with or against or having to appear unclothed before males.” Id. ¶ 71 (quoting Rollins Letter). The same communication said “USDA has launched a full review of grants awarded by the Biden Administration” to Maine DOE,” “[m]any of these grants appear to be wasteful, redundant, or otherwise against the priorities of the Trump Administration,” and “USDA will not extend the Biden Administration‘s bloated bureaucracy and will instead focus on a Department that is farmer-first without a leftist social agenda.” Id. ¶ 72 (quoting Rollins Letter).

Secretary Rollins‘s April 2, 2025 letter to Governor Mills said the funding freeze would “not impact federal feeding programs or direct assistance to Mainers,” and that “if a child was fed today, they will be fed tomorrow.” Id. ¶ 73 (quoting Rollins Letter).

To date, Secretary Rollins has not filed a report with the relevant House or Senate committee pursuant to 20 U.S.C. § 1682. Id. ¶ 74.

8. The Impact of USDA‘s Action

a. MDOE‘s Child Nutrition Program

Housed within MDOE is the Child Nutrition Program, which administers several federal programs designed to fight hunger by reimbursing organizations such as schools, childcare centers, and after-school programs for providing healthy free or reduced-price meals to children. McLucas Decl. ¶ 1; Verified Compl. ¶ 75. As part of her official duties as MDOE‘s Child Nutrition Director, Jane McLucas is responsible for overseeing CNP, including its federally funded school nutrition programs and the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). McLucas Decl. ¶ 3. Director McLucas is also charged with managing CNP‘s fifteen employees and five contractors, who, as relevant, receive reimbursement claims from schools and other sponsors, access federal accounts and draw down the funds, and provide timely reimbursements to schools and sponsors so that they can operate their respective programs. Id.; Verified Compl. ¶ 77.

b. CNP‘s Initiatives and Funding Sources

As relevant to this dispute, the CNP administers and oversees numerous initiatives which receive federal funds from the USDA, including CACFP Sponsor Administrative Funds, CACFP “Cash in Lieu,” State Administrative Funds as well as the Summer Food Service Program, Child Nutrition Technology Innovation Grants (NTIG), National School Lunch Program Equipment Assistance Grants, and Farm to School State Formula Grants. Corley Decl. ¶ 3; McLucas Decl. ¶ 5; Verified Compl. ¶ 78.

i. Child and Adult Care Food Program

CACFP provides meals for young children who attend daycare programs, at-risk school-age children outside of school hours, and adults in adult daycare programs. McLucas Decl. ¶ 6; Verified Compl. ¶ 79. In Maine, there are eighty-three CACFP sponsoring organizations, such as public schools and community non-profits, that are responsible for overseeing 186 of their own sites as well as 388 CACFP providers, small family daycare providers and adult care providers, where food is served to the target populations. McLucas Decl. ¶ 6; Verified Compl. ¶ 80.

There are three financial subcomponents to CACFP: food reimbursement, which reimburses sponsors and sites for meals actually served; “cash in lieu,” which is paid to sponsors and sites as an alternative to their accessing commodity foods offered by USDA at discounted rates; and administrative funds, which go to sponsors to pay the costs of preparing and providing the meals and administering the local programs. McLucas Decl. ¶ 6; Verified Compl. ¶ 81.

aa. Sponsor Administrative Funds

More specifically, CACFP administrative funds are used to make administrative payments to day care home sponsoring organizations to help offset administrative costs. Corley Decl. ¶ 8. Federal reimbursement is based on the number of homes claimed multiplied by the rate established by the federal government each year. Id.

bb. “Cash in Lieu” Payments

“Cash in lieu” funding is used to purchase food. Id. ¶ 10; McLucas Decl. ¶ 6. For each school year, the state of Maine may, upon application to Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services prior to the beginning of the school year, elect to receive cash in lieu of donated foods for use in nonresidential childcare or adult care institutions participating in the CACFP. Corley Decl. ¶ 10. The State must then promptly and equitably disburse any cash received in lieu of donated foods to eligible schools, service institutions, and nonresidential childcare institutions, as applicable. Id. Under the terms of the grant, the funds are only to be used to purchase United States agricultural commodities and other foods for use in food service under the National School Lunch Program, CACFP, or Summer Food Service Program, as applicable. Id.

ii. State Administrative Funds

State Administrative Funds (also referred to as state-level operating costs) pay for the salaries, including employee benefits and professional travel expenses, of CNP employees charged with monitoring compliance and processing the reimbursements to schools and other sponsors for all the USDA-funded child nutrition initiatives, as well as necessary office expenses, such as computers, phones, and other office supplies. McLucas Decl. ¶ 7; Verified Compl. ¶ 82; Corley Decl. ¶ 6. State-level operating costs also provide salaries for State personnel for the Summer Food Service Program. Corley Decl. ¶ 9.

iii. Child Nutrition Technology Innovation Grants

Child Nutrition Technology Innovation Grants provide funding to every state, Indian tribal organization, and territory administering these programs, supporting planning and implementation activities aimed at improving efficiency, accountability, and overall program integrity. Id. ¶ 5. Recipient states may use NTIG funds to conduct feasibility studies, review data and processes, assess training needs, and plan for automation programs. Id. Implementation efforts may include developing web-based software, improving system interfaces, purchasing technology and hardware, hiring specialized contractors, and training staff and local operators. Id. These grants also pay for CNPweb, the computer program through which schools and other program sponsors interface with MDOE to submit claims and receive reimbursement. McLucas Decl. ¶ 8; Verified Compl. ¶ 83.

iv. National School Lunch Program Equipment Assistance Grants

The National School Lunch Program Equipment Assistance Grant reimburses schools for the purchase of commercial grade kitchen equipment used to make the food for their child nutrition programs. McLucas Decl. ¶ 9; Verified Compl. ¶ 84; Corley Decl. ¶ 7. The grant‘s specific purpose is to purchase equipment needed to serve healthier meals, improve food safety, and help support the school meal program. Corley Decl. ¶ 7. Local operators, including local education agencies, school food authorities, and schools, apply and are awarded funding to purchase equipment with a value of $1,000 or greater. Id. Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services requires State agencies and local operators to follow federal and state procurement regulations to ensure responsible stewardship of federal funds while improving school nutrition. Id.

v. Farm to School State Formula Grant

The Farm to School State Formula Grant pays for regional coordinators who work with farmers and schools to increase the capacity of schools to procure and use local foods. McLucas Decl. ¶ 10; Verified Compl. ¶ 85.

The specific objectives of this funding are: (a) to build and increase the capacity of participating institutions to procure and use local food in program meals; and (b) to provide agricultural education opportunities for participating children. Corley Decl. ¶ 4. State-level conduct to support farm to school includes, but is not limited to, local food procurement capacity building and coordination (such as value chain coordination, grower/buyer matching tools, etc.), training and technical assistance for local producers and program operators, local food promotional and educational activities for participating institutions and children (such as Harvest of the Month promotions or “crunches“), and outreach to local producers or participating institutions not engaged in farm to school. Id. States may directly fund State-level farm to school staff and projects and may choose to provide funds to partner organizations to conduct allowable activities, or to participating institutions, through contracts, subrecipients, or incentive payments. Id.

c. USDA Freezes CNP‘s Funding

On April 3, 2025, the day after Governor Mills and the MDOE, respectively, received Secretary Rollins‘s letter, the CNP was unable to access several sources of federal funds. McLucas Decl. ¶ 12; Verified Compl. ¶ 86. While the CACFP account for food reimbursement was accessible, the program‘s “cash in lieu” and administrative funds were inaccessible. McLucas Decl. ¶ 12; Verified Compl. ¶ 86. Furthermore, all the accounts for state-level operating costs, NTIG, the National School Lunch Program Equipment Assistance Grant, and the Farm to School State Formula Grant were inaccessible. McLucas Decl. ¶ 12; Verified Compl. ¶ 86. The following amounts, per program, are currently frozen.

i. CACFP

Approximately $71,135.00 and $2,047.00, as reported by Chief of Staff Corley, Corley Decl. ¶ 8, or $97,085, as reported by Director McLucas, of CACFP administrative funds were frozen as of approximately April 9, 2025. McLucas Decl. ¶ 13.⁷ These funds are not used or intended to be used to purchase food. Corley Decl. ¶ 8.

For CACFP‘s “Cash in Lieu” program, as of April 9, 2025, $49,188.60 remains frozen and $24,200.00 exists in Fiscal Year 2024 Q3 funds which are not to be distributed. id. ¶ 10; McLucas Decl. ¶ 13. In Fiscal Year 2024, the Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services distributed $40,294,374.00 in USDA funds, allotted for food, labor, and other indirect expenses, to the state of Maine; the State only used $35,734,264.59 of those funds. Corley Decl. ¶ 10.

ii. State Administrative Funds

Chief of Staff Corley reports the amounts frozen as of April 9, 2025 in state-level operating expenses as $68,951.23, $25,950.00, and $374,753.89. Id. ¶ 6. In addition, she says that $122,572.93 exists in Fiscal Year 2024 Q3 funds which are not to be distributed. Id. As of April 7, 2025, Director McLucas reports Maine has received or anticipates receiving approximately $990,817 for state-level operating costs and says prior year funds awarded but currently inaccessible amount to $68,952. McLucas Decl. ¶ 13. State Administrative Funds are not used or intended to be used to purchase food. Corley Decl. ¶ 6.

The amount frozen as of April 9, 2025 for the Summer Food Service Program, which falls within state-level operating costs, is $77,949.30; these funds are not used

or intended to be used to purchase food. Id. CNP anticipates funding of approximately three million dollars, typically awarded in July of each year, for the summer meal program sponsor administration and meal reimbursement. McLucas Decl. ¶ 13.

iii. NTIG

The amounts frozen as of April 9, 2025 for NTIG are $117,405.30, $101,111.38, and $698,507.00. Corley Decl. ¶ 5; McLucas Decl. ¶ 13. These funds are not used or intended to be used to purchase food. Corley Decl. ¶ 5.

iv. National School Lunch Program Equipment Assistance Grants

$37,544.00 in National School Lunch Program Equipment Assistance Grants is frozen as of April 9, 2025. Id. ¶ 7; McLucas Decl. ¶ 13. These funds are not used or intended to be used to purchase food. Corley Decl. ¶ 7.

v. Farm to School Formula Grant

The amount frozen as of April 9, 2024 in Farm to School State Formula Grant funds is $592,838.42. Id. ¶ 4; McLucas Decl. ¶ 13. The funds are not used or intended to be used to purchase food. Corley Decl. ¶ 4.

d. Impact of Funding Freeze on CNP‘s Programming

Director McLucas says the inaccessibility of two of the funding streams in CACFP grants “directly impact this federal feeding program.” McLucas Decl. ¶ 14; see also Verified Compl. ¶ 87. “Shutting of the CACFP cash in lieu account prevents providers from using the funds to purchase the food that is distributed to children and adult in daycare settings,” and “[s]hutting of the CACFP administrative fundsaccount prevents providers from paying the individuals who run the programs that prepare and provide the food to children and adults.” McLucas Decl. ¶ 14; see also Verified Compl. ¶¶ 88-89. In Maine, the sites and providers are too small to access the discounted commodity foods which are distributed in large quantities that could not be properly stored or managed without significant waste. McLucas Decl. ¶ 14. Without access to funds in the “cash in lieu” and administrative funds account, providers will have to cease operations and children (and vulnerable adults) will not be fed. Id.; see also Verified Compl. ¶ 90.

Director McLucas says further that “[a]lthough the accounts holding funds to reimburse schools for providing meals under the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program are still accessible, the funds that pay for the twelve CNP employees . . . who monitor the programs and process the reimbursements to the schools are inaccessible. Unless an alternate funding source can be immediately identified, these employees will be laid off.” McLucas Decl. ¶ 15.

“Also inaccessible are the funds that pay for the computers, telephones, and other equipment that CNP employees use to monitor the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program and process the reimbursements,” she reports. Id. ¶ 16; see also Verified Compl. ¶ 92. Director McLucas says that without staff and equipment, “there will be no way for CNP to ensure that programs receiving federal funds are operating in accordance with federal laws and regulations. More importantly, without these funds, there will be no CNP staff to collect, approve, and process claims for reimbursement from schools and other facilities providing mealsto children and vulnerable adults. In other words, there will be no way to get funds from the USDA to the schools and other facilities, and children will not be fed.” McLucas Decl. ¶ 17; see also Verified Compl. ¶ 93.

Loss of CNP staff means there “will be no way to oversee and monitor the local programs, resulting in the loss of program integrity, including inconsistent meal quality and reduced outreach to low-income families, thus widening the gaps in access to healthy meals for children who depend on these programs,” McLucas Decl. ¶ 18; see also Verified Compl. ¶ 94, and will also impair the State‘s ability to comply with USDA regulations, “which could jeopardize the integrity of child nutrition programs, and cause fraud, waste, and abuse of federal dollars.” McLucas Decl. ¶ 19; see also Verified Compl. ¶ 95.

The state of Maine does not have state funds available to replace the federal funds that have been frozen. McLucas Decl. ¶ 20; see also Verified Compl. ¶ 96.

III. THE PARTIES’ POSITIONS

A. The State of Maine‘s Motion for TRO

The Plaintiff brings a motion for TRO, requesting emergency injunctive relief prohibiting the Federal Defendants “from terminating, freezing, or otherwise interfering with Maine‘s access to federal funds allocated to Maine based on Maine‘s alleged violation of Title IX without complying with the requisite statutory and regulatory procedures.” Mot. for TRO at 1. The State argues the matter warrants emergency relief because the Federal Defendants have “blocked access to federalfunds Maine uses to feed at-risk and needy children, as well as vulnerable adults.” Id.

More specifically, the State seeks judicial review of the Federal Defendants’ freezing of federal aid to the MDOE, contending the Federal Defendants’ actions violated the APA and rejecting as plainly “not true” Secretary Rollins‘s proffer that the pause in disbursement would “not impact federal feeding programs or direct assistance to Mainers,” and “if a child was fed today, they will be fed tomorrow.” Id. at 2, 11.

1. Likelihood of Success on the Merits

a. Availability of Judicial Review Under the APA

The State argues it is likely to prevail on the merits. Id. at 12. As an initial matter, the State argues the Federal Defendants’ action pausing disbursement of federal funds on the basis of the State‘s alleged violation of Title IX is judicially reviewable under the APA, contending “Congress has expressly declared that actions by federal agencies ‘terminating or refusing to grant or to continue financial assistance’ upon a finding of a violation of Title IX are subject to judicial review in accordance with the APA, and ‘such action shall not be deemed uncommitted to unreviewable agency discretion within the meaning of [5 U.S.C. § 701].‘” Id. (quoting 20 U.S.C. § 1683).

b. The Merits

Turning to the merits, the Plaintiff says that under the APA, a reviewing court may hold unlawful and set aside an agency action that is arbitrary, capricious, not inaccordance with law, or was taken “without observance of procedure required by law.” Id. (quoting 5 U.S.C. § 706). The State insists “Secretary Rollins‘s action is all of these things.” Id.

i. Not in Accordance with Law and Taken Without Observance of the Required Legal Procedures

“Most obviously,” the Plaintiff argues, “the Secretary‘s action was not in accordance with law and was taken without observance of the required legal procedures.” Id. The State contends Secretary Rollins “cannot simply declare that the state of Maine is in violation of Title IX and terminate federal funding” because “Congress has expressly declared that to terminate or refuse to continue federal financial assistance to a recipient, the agency must first hold a hearing and then make an ‘express finding on the record’ that the recipient violated Title IX.” Id. (quoting 20 U.S.C. § 1682). The State alleges that “USDA‘s own regulations also require a hearing and an express finding on the record,” and “impose additional requirements beyond those established by Congress.” Id. (citing 7 C.F.R. § 15.8(c)). Pursuant to the applicable regulations, the Plaintiff proffers the USDA “must first notify the recipient of its failure to comply and consider security compliance by voluntary means,” then the Secretary must issue a final decision pursuant to 7 C.F.R. § 15.10(e), and, finally, under both federal law and USDA regulations, the Secretary must file with the appropriate House and Senate committees “a full written report of the circumstances and the grounds” for the contemplated action and then wait atleast 30 days before taking such action. Id. at 12-13 (citing 20 U.S.C. § 1682; 7 C.F.R. § 15.10(e)).

Here, the State concludes “[t]he Secretary did not do any of these things. Instead, without any prior notice, opportunity for a hearing, finding on the record, or report to Congress, she terminated the state of Maine‘s federal funding. This termination is both not in accordance with the law and in violation of required legal procedures and must be set aside.” Id. at 13.

ii. Arbitrary and Capricious

The Plaintiff argues further that the Secretary‘s action also must be set aside as arbitrary and capricious. Id. “An agency action is arbitrary or capricious where it is not ‘reasonable and reasonably explained,‘” id. (quoting FCC v. Prometheus Radio Project, 592 U.S. 414, 423 (2021)), and an agency must provide “a satisfactory explanation for its action[,] including a rational connection between the facts found and the choice made.” Id. (quoting Motor Vehicle Mfrs. Ass‘n of the U.S., Inc. v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 463 U.S. 29, 43 (1983)).

Turning to the instant case, the State insists Secretary Rollins “offered no explanation for her determination that the state of Maine is in violation of Title IX.” Id. “She did not cite any provision in Title IX or USDA‘s implementing regulations prohibiting schools from allowing transgender girls and women to play on girls’ and women‘s teams,” or cite any caselaw supporting such a proposition; instead, the Plaintiff insists, “[s]he simply declared her interpretation of Title IX without providing a single bit of legal support.” Id.

The State presses further that, even if it assumed Secretary Rollins‘s interpretation of Title IX is correct, the Secretary‘s action is nevertheless arbitrary and capricious and thus violative of the APA because “she did not explain why MDOE is somehow in violation of Title IX [on the basis that] schools in Maine allow (as they should) transgender girls and women to play on girls’ and women‘s teams.” Id. The State insists Secretary Rollins‘s letter cited no caselaw or other authority—“[i]n short, she provided no basis for her determination that the state of Maine is in violation of Title IX.” Id. at 14.

The State concludes that it is likely to succeed on the merits of its claim because the Secretary ignored all legally required procedures and provided no basis for her action terminating the State‘s funding. Id.

2. Irreparable Harm

The State argues it will suffer irreparable harm absent a TRO. Id. It says that if emergency relief is not granted, “hungry children and vulnerable adults will not be fed (despite Secretary Rollins‘s claim to the contrary).” Id.

The State begins by detailing the multiple food assistance programs MDOE operates through CNP with the assistance of USDA federal funding, including the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, CACFP, state-level operating costs, NTIG, National School Lunch Program Equipment Assistance Grants, and Farm to School State Formula Grants, all of which the State reports are “designed to fight hunger by reimbursing organizations such as schools, childcare centers, and after-school programs for providing healthy free or reduced-price mealsto children.” Id. (citing McLucas Decl. ¶¶ 1, 4). The State reports many of these programs were unable to access federal funds on April 3, 2025, just one day after Governor Mills and MDOE received Secretary Rollins‘s letter. Id. at 16 (citing McLucas Decl. ¶ 12).

Anticipating the Federal Defendants’ argument that this pause in disbursement is not irreparable because many of these programs serve administrative functions, the State insists, “[t]he inaccessibility of two of the funding streams in the CACFP grants directly impairs the ability of CNP to feed children.” Id. (citing McLucas Decl. ¶ 14). Plaintiff explains:

First, without access to the cash in lieu account, providers have no funds to purchase the food that is distributed to children and adults in daycare settings. Second, without access to the administrative funds account, providers have no funds to pay the individuals who run the programs that prepare and provide food to children and adults. In sum, without access to these two accounts, CACFP will have to cease operations and children (and vulnerable adults) will not be fed.

Id. (citing McLucas Decl. ¶ 14).

The Plaintiff says further that Secretary Rollins‘s action “also cripples Maine‘s National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program” because “[a]lthough the accounts holding funds to reimburse schools for providing meals under these programs are still accessible, the funds that pay for the twelve CNP employees . . . who monitor the programs and process the reimbursements to the schools are inaccessible.” Id. (citing McLucas Decl. ¶ 15). Unless an alternative funding source can be identified, the State maintains, these employees will be laid off. Id. (citing McLucas Decl. ¶ 15).

Noting that the funds paying for the computers, telephones, and other equipment CNP employees use to monitor the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program and to process the reimbursements are also inaccessible, the State argues that “[w]ithout staff and equipment, there will be no way for Maine to collect, approve, and process claims for reimbursement from schools and other facilities providing meals to schoolchildren.” Id. (citing McLucas Decl. ¶¶ 16-17). “Because the State has no state funds available to replace the funds that have been frozen, the lack of staff and equipment means that USDA funds will not reach the schools and other facilities, and the children will not be fed.” Id. at 16-17 (citing McLucas Decl. ¶¶ 17, 20). “In short,” the Plaintiff concludes, “Secretary Rollins blew up the bridge necessary to get funds from USDA to the schools and other entities that need the funds to feed children and vulnerable adults.” Id. at 17.

3. The Balance of the Equities and the Public Interest

Addressing the balance of the equities and the public interest in tandem, the State asserts “the principal public interest is ensuring that needy children and vulnerable adults are fed,” and, “[a]s set forth above, that interest cannot be served if MDOE continues to be denied access to federal funds.” Id. The State argues further that “the public has an important interest in making sure government agencies follow the law.” Id. (quoting Neighborhood Ass‘n of the Back Bay, Inc. v. Fed. Transit Admin., 407 F. Supp. 2d 323, 343 (D. Mass. 2005); citing League of Women Voters of U.S. v. Newby, 838 F.3d 1, 12 (D.C. Cir. 2016)). “Conversely,” it says, “there is generally no public interest in the perpetuation of unlawful agency action.” Id. (quoting Planned Parenthood of N.Y.C., Inc. v. United States HHS, 337 F. Supp. 3d 308, 343 (S.D.N.Y. 2018) (citation corrected)).

Turning to the balance of the equities, the Plaintiff argues that while the public has a strong interest in “feeding children and vulnerable adults,” and a further interest in ensuring USDA follows the law, “the federal government faces no ‘harm from an injunction that merely ends an unlawful practice or reads a statute as required.‘” Id. (quoting R.I.L.-R v. Johnson, 80 F. Supp. 3d 164, 191 (D.D.C. 2015) (in turn quoting Rodriguez v. Robbins, 715 F.3d 1127, 1145 (9th Cir. 2013)); citing Planned Parenthood of N.Y.C., Inc., 337 F. Supp. 3d at 343). It contends that “[b]ecause USDA‘s funding freeze was unlawful, Defendants have no cognizable interest in it being continued.” Id. The State asserts further that the Federal Defendants will not be burdened or otherwise harmed by a restraining order because a TRO would not prevent the Federal Defendants from moving forward with efforts to terminate federal funding for Maine‘s alleged violation of Title IX; rather, “[t]hey would simply need to do so through the legally required process” and “[f]ollowing the law is not a burden.” Id. at 18.

The state of Maine concludes by urging the Court to enter a TRO barring the Federal Defendants from freezing, terminating, or otherwise interfering with its federal funding for alleged Title IX violations without complying with the required procedures. Id.

B. The Federal Defendants’ Response

The Federal Defendants oppose the State‘s motion for TRO. Defs.’ Opp‘n. The Federal Defendants’ opposition principally rests on the argument that the Plaintiff‘s motion should be denied because the State has not demonstrated a risk of irreparable harm; however, Federal Defendants also contend the other TRO factors weigh in their favor. Id. at 1-14.

1. Likelihood of Success on the Merits

The Federal Defendants confine their discussion of the State‘s likelihood of success on the merits to the jurisdictional question raised by the Court in its April 9, 2025 order. See Order to Respond. The Federal Defendants contend:

As this Court noted in its recent Order to Respond, in a recent case involving similar challenges to Education‘s alleged termination of certain grants, Department of Education v. California, No. 24A910, 2025 WL 1008354 (Apr. 4, 2025) (per curiam), the Supreme Court granted the Government‘s application for a stay of a temporary restraining order pending appeal. It did so because the Tucker Act required the challenges to proceed before the Court of Federal Claims, and not in a federal district court. Id. Insofar as the State here is also effectively trying to enforce its rights in certain grants that employ contracts to set the terms and commitments of recipients, then this Court would lack jurisdiction for the same reason as in Department of Education v. California.

Defs.’ Opp‘n at 10.

“It is well-established that the federal government is ‘immune from suit in federal court absent a clear and unequivocal waiver of sovereign immunity,‘” the Federal Defendants allege, and “although the APA provides ‘a limited waiver of sovereign immunity for claims against the United States’ seeking non-monetary relief, that waiver does not apply if any other statute that grants consent to suitexpressly or impliedly forbids the relief which is sought.” Id. at 10-11 (first quoting Crowley Gov‘t Servs., Inc. v. GSA, 38 F.4th 1099, 1105 (D.C. Cir. 2022); then quoting Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians v. Patchak, 567 U.S. 209, 215 (2012)).

Here, the Federal Defendants argue the proper forum for this suit is the United States Court of Federal Claims pursuant to the Supreme Court‘s April 4, 2025 interpretation of the Tucker Act in Department of Education v. California. Id. at 11 (citing Dep‘t of Educ., No. 24A910, 2025 U.S. LEXIS 1370, at *1-2 (Apr. 4, 2025); Order to Respond at 2 (citations amended)). Construing this case as essentially a contractual dispute for monetary damages, the Federal Defendants contend the Court of Federal Claims has exclusive jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1491(a). Id. (citing 28 U.S.C. § 1491(a)) (the “United States Court of Federal Claims shall have jurisdiction to render judgment upon any claim against the United States founded” on “any express or implied contract with the United States“).

In determining whether the State‘s “particular action” here is “at its essence a contract action” subject to the Tucker Act or instead a challenge properly before this district court, the Federal Defendants submit the Court must consider “the source of the rights upon which the plaintiff bases its claims” and “the type of relief sought (or appropriate).” Id. at 11-12 (quoting Megapulse, Inc. v. Lewis, 672 F.2d 959, 968 (D.C. Cir. 1982); accord Cohen v. Postal Holdings, LLC, 873 F.3d 394, 403 (2d Cir. 2017) (applying Megapulse test); American Sci. & Eng‘g, Inc. v. Califano, 571 F.2d 58, 63 (1st Cir. 1978) (evaluating whether “the essence of the action is in contract“)). TheFederal Defendants maintain “[a]pplying those principles here, to the extent the State is effectively trying to enforce its rights in certain grants that employ contracts to set the terms and commitments of recipients, then this action would sound in contract and this Court would lack jurisdiction for the same reasons as Department of Education v. California.” Id. at 12.

2. Risk of Irreparable Harm

Notes

In ruling on the motion as quickly as possible, the Court has done its level best, but the parties should appreciate “the temporal constraints under which the district court labored.” See .

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, codified at 20 U.S.C. §§ 1681-1688.

The original complaint was not verified. The State filed Director McLucas‘s sworn declaration, but it contained a much narrower set of facts than alleged in the complaint. Compare Compl. with McLucas Decl. Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 65(b)(1)(A), in issuing a temporary restraining order (TRO), a court may rely on “specific facts in an affidavit or verified complaint” if those facts “clearly show that immediate and irreparable injury, loss or damage will result.” FED. R. CIV. P. 65(b)(1)(A). At a telephone conference of counsel on April 8, 2025, the Court questioned counsel as to what it could consider as part of the record in the absence of a verified complaint. Later that day, the State filed a verified complaint. Verified Compl.

The State filed its amended complaint once as a matter of right, and the Court treats it as superseding the original complaint. FED. R. CIV. P. 15(a)(1); accord ConnectU LLC v. Zuckerberg, 522 F.3d 82, 91 (1st Cir. 2008) (“An amended complaint, once filed, normally supersedes the antecedent complaint. . . . Thereafter, the earlier complaint is a dead letter and ‘no longer performs any function in the case‘“) (citing InterGen N.V. v. Grina, 344 F.3d 134, 145 (1st Cir. 2003); quoting Kolling v. Am. Power Conversion Corp., 347 F.3d 11, 16 (1st Cir. 2003)).

The Court subsequently ordered the parties to respond, within their respective response and reply to the motion for TRO, to a jurisdictional question raised by an April 4, 2025 decision from the United States Supreme Court. Order to Respond (ECF No. 9).

In accepting the allegations in the State‘s verified complaint, the Court has “eschew[ed] reliance on the pleader‘s rhetorical flourishes, including unsupported conclusions and assertions.” .

The factual record contains information on comments made and actions taken by other federal agencies and actors, namely, the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Social Security Administrator, and the United States Attorney General regarding the state of Maine‘s compliance with Title IX. See, e.g., Verified Compl., Attach. 1, Ex. A: 2/21/2025 USDOE Letter; id., Attach. 2, Ex. B: 2/21/2025 USHHS OCR Letter; id., Attach. 3, Ex. C: 2/25/2025 Letter from Pam Bondi; id., Attach. 4, Ex. D: 3/19/2025 USDOE Letter; id., Attach. 5, Ex. E: Resol. Agreement; id., Attach. 6, Ex. F: 3/31/2025 USDOE Letter; id., Attach. 7, Ex. G: 2/25/2025 USHHS OCR Letter; id., Attach. 8, Ex. H: Voluntary Resol. Agreement; id., Attach. 10, Ex. J: 3/5/2025 USHHS OCR Letter; id., Attach. 11, Ex. K: 3/17/2025 USHHS OCR Letter; id., Attach. 12, Ex. L: Voluntary Resol. Agreement; id., Attach. 13, Ex. M: 3/28/2025 USHHS OCR Letter. While these records provide context, none of these agencies and entities is a party to this dispute and the Court thus confines its recitation of the factual background to the actions of the Federal Defendants themselves: the United States Department of Agriculture and the Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins. The Federal Defendants agree that the documents Plaintiff attaches to its verified complaint regarding other federal actors addressing Maine‘s Title IX compliance are beyond the scope of instant dispute. See Defs.’ Opp‘n at 7 (“Beyond the immediate action challenged here, the State also includes in its Motion discussion of communication and actions undertaken by other federal agencies. None of those actions or communications are challenged here, and none are relevant to the resolution of the emergency motion“) (citing Verified Compl. ¶¶ 46-47).

Although the Court is not sure whether this explains the differences in the amount of paused funds estimated by Director McLucas and Chief of Staff Corley in their respective declarations, it notes that Director McLucas submitted her declaration on April 7, 2025, while Chief of Staff Corley submitted her own on April 9, 2025. It is possible this brief timing discrepancy accounts or helps account for the divergent figures. These minor discrepancies do not alter the Court‘s ruling.

The Supreme Court‘s April 4, 2025 decision to vacate and stay a district court‘s TRO enjoining the U.S. Department of Education from terminating various education-related grants on the ground that the Tucker Act provided exclusive jurisdiction to the United States Court of Federal Claims does not change the Court‘s determination that it is a proper forum for this dispute under the APA. See . The Supreme Court acknowledged “a district court‘s jurisdiction is not barred by the possibility’ that an order setting aside an agency‘s action may result in the disbursement of funds,” (quoting ), but held “the APA‘s limited waiver of immunity does not extend to orders ‘to enforce a contractual obligation to pay money,” making the Court of Federal Claims the proper forum for that case. (quoting ; citing 28 U.S.C. § 1491(a)(1)). While bearing some similarities to the instant suit, the Supreme Court issued this decision on its emergency docket, without full briefing or hearing, (Kagan, J., diss.); (Jackson, J., joined by Sotomayor, J., diss.), and its precedential value is thus limited. See (Kavanaugh, J., concurring) (“The principal dissent‘s catchy but worn-out rhetoric about the ‘shadow docket’ is similarly off target. The stay will allow this Court to decide the merits in an orderly fashion-after full briefing, oral argument, and our usual extensive internal deliberations and ensure that we do not have to decide the merits on the emergency docket. To reiterate: The Court‘s stay order is not a decision on the merits“); accord (Roberts, C.J., dissenting) (critiquing the Supreme Court‘s emergency orders for necessitating decisions without the opportunity for “full briefing and argument-[]based on the scanty review this Court gives matters on its shadow docket“). In Bowen, the Supreme Court wrote that “[i]t would be nothing less than remarkable to conclude that Congress intended judicial review of these complex questions of federal-state interaction to be reviewed in a specialized forum such as the Court of Claims.” . If Bowen means that the district courts have jurisdiction over claims that touch on claims for money damages against the federal government, it is also true that if the United States Court of Federal Claims has exclusive jurisdiction over claims like the one Maine is bringing, the Court of Federal Claims will be charged with deciding issues decidedly outside its limited jurisdiction, a result that Bowen rejected. Absent clear guidance from the Supreme Court that Bowen and its progeny are no longer good law, the Court follows this well-established precedent in concluding the APA has waived the United States’ sovereign immunity on this case seeking temporary injunctive relief, inclusive of the fact that, in the event the Plaintiff prevails, the requested TRO will likely result in monetary payments. See .

Plaintiff correctly observes, as the Court also notes above, that Federal Defendants do not dispute the merits of its contention that they violated the APA. Pl.‘s Reply at 1; Defs.’ Resp. at 1-15. Instead, the Federal Defendants’ arguments regarding the first factor of the TRO analysis focus on the jurisdictional issue already addressed above, and to the Plaintiff‘s favor. See Defs.’ Resp. at 10-12. Thus, the Court deems the Federal Defendants’ opposition to the State‘s APA arguments waived. See (“[A party‘s] unexcused failure to respond authorizes the presiding district judge to summarily grant the unopposed motion, at least when the result does not clearly offend equity or conflicts with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure“) (citations and internal punctuation omitted). Nevertheless, in its discretion and considering equitable principles as well as the significance of this order, the Court proceeds to the merits of the Plaintiff‘s arguments.

The State also claims that the Federal Defendants’ actions were arbitrary and capricious. See Mot. for TRO at 13-14. In light of its determination that the Federal Defendants undertook actions “not in accordance with law” and “without observance of procedure required by law,” 5 U.S.C. § 706, the Court does not reach whether the Federal Defendants’ actions were also arbitrary and capricious in this emergency order.

After the district court issued a preliminary injunction, the Federal Agency Defendants in that case moved the Court of Appeals for the First Circuit for a stay of the district court order. . Although the Federal Agency Defendants asserted that the district court order would cause them irreparable harm, there is no suggestion in the First Circuit opinion that the Federal Agency Defendants urged the First Circuit to overturn the district court‘s finding of irreparable harm to the state from the withholding of federal funds. .

The Supreme Court has instructed that the last two factors in the TRO analysis “merge when the Government is the party opposing the [TRO]“; the Court follows this instruction and reviews the balance of the equities and the public interest in tandem. .

This District and other district courts within the First Circuit have similarly required a nominal bond in this amount. See ; . The Court sees no reason to depart from this precedent.

Read the detailed case summary