The state of Maine, led by Gov. Janet Mills, has vowed that they will continue to allow biological males to compete in women’s and girl’s sports in defiance of President Donald Trump’s executive order banning the practice.

On Friday Trump confronted the governor at an event with governors from around the nation when he asked her if she was going to comply with his executive order.

“I’ll comply with state and federal law,” the governor said.

“We are the federal law,” the president responded. “You better do it. Because you’re not going to get any federal funding at all if you don’t. And by the way, your population, even though it is somewhat liberal — although I did very well there — your population doesn’t want men playing in women’s sports. You better comply because otherwise you’re not getting any federal funding.”

“I’ll see you in court,” the president said to her. “I look forward to that, that should be a real easy one. And enjoy your life after governor, because I don’t think you’ll be in elected politics.”

And now the United States government has taken action.

Hours after that exchange, the Department of Education announced that it had started a Title IX investigation into the state’s policies.

“Today, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) sent a letter to the Maine Department of Education Commissioner Pender Makin announcing that OCR is initiating a directed investigation of the Maine Department of Education (MDOE) amid allegations that it 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,” said the department.

But Maine education officials are remaining adamant about allowing biological males to compete against females in all-girl sporting events.

“I have been in touch with the Department of Education as recently as Friday and have been told there are no anticipated changes in the state’s direction in the near future. As such, we will continue to abide by state law and our local district policies,” MSAD 51 Superintendent Jeff Porter said in an email to parents, The Daily Wire reported.

“First, and foremost, I want to express the district’s unwavering support for all of our students. This support is not based upon any viewpoint, opinion, or identity. This support is unconditional for all students as valued members of our school community,” he said.

“The Maine Department of Education (MDOE) sent out a memo to districts stating, ‘The Executive Order Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government applies to the federal government/federal government agencies only and does not inhibit the force of Maine law or locally-adopted school board policies,” Porter said. “Maine schools are expected to abide by the Maine Human Rights Act (MHRA).’”