Leaders at Greely High School in Cumberland, Maine — the school at the center of controversy over a transgender student competing in girls' sports — announced Friday that they would increase security at the school starting Monday.
As reported by Portland CBS affiliate WGME, superintendent Jeffery Porter sent a letter to parents Friday saying the town’s police department will increase its presence. He says it's not because of any specific threat, but the child at the center of the controversy has been the subject of concerning social media posts.
According to the Portland Press Herald, Porter cited “national media press and attention” about a track athlete who won a girls state competition last week. The student’s photo was posted on social media by a Republican lawmaker who called for a ban on transgender athletes in girls’ sports, which ultimately led to President Donald Trump threatening to cut off all federal funding to Maine and ordering an investigation of the state and the school district.
“Along with this attention has been a flurry of online postings and communications, including some that have been of concern to members of the school community,” Porter wrote. “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.”
Porter said he has been in contact with the Cumberland Police Department to have “additional police presence and security” at the high school on Monday when students return from February break, the Press Herald reported.
“Please know this is not in response to any specific threat or information; rather, it is a proactive security measure only,” he said, a stance echoed by the Cumberland Police Department.
The flood of attention started after state Rep. Laurel Libby, R-Auburn, posted about the athlete’s win on Facebook. Libby posted a photo of the athlete winning an event side by side with another photo of the athlete last year when they competed as a boy, according to the Press Herald.
Related: Maine Legislator Receives Pushback After Posting Picture of Trans Student-Athlete to Facebook
Some have criticized Libby for targeting a minor in a divisive political debate.
Libby, who has gained national exposure for her actions, defended the posts and insists she’s only trying to protect “female athletes who work hard every day to compete in their respective sports and who have to compete against male athletes.”
The Maine Morning Star reported Friday that the civil rights division of the U.S. Department of Education had announced an investigation into Maine’s Department of Education over allegations that the state is defying President Trump’s executive order barring transgender athletes from competing on women’s sports teams consistent with their gender identity.
Notice of the investigation came hours after Maine Gov. Janet Mills and Trump had a tense exhange during an event at the White House over the state’s transgender athlete policy.
In response to the president’s threat to withdraw federal funding unless Maine adheres to the order, Mills, who was in Washington, D.C. attending the winter meeting of the National Governors Association, told him: “We’re going to follow the law, sir. We’ll see you in court.”
In a statement issued late Friday, Mills said that the “rule of law in our country” is at stake and that the president will likely continue to target those who speak out against his wishes, the Morning Star reported.
“Maine may be one of the first states to undergo an investigation by his administration, but we won’t be the last,” the statement read. “Today, the President of the United States has targeted one particular group on one particular issue which Maine law has addressed. But you must ask yourself: who and what will he target next, and what will he do? Will it be you? Will it be because of your race or your religion? Will it be because you look different or think differently? Where does it end? In America, the president is neither a king nor a dictator, as much as this one tries to act like it — and it is the rule of law that prevents him from being so."
