The Department of Justice filed a federal lawsuit against Minnesota on Monday, alleging the state violates Title IX by allowing transgender girls to participate in girls' sports teams. The lawsuit targets Minnesota's Department of Education and the Minnesota State High School League.

Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement that the administration "does not tolerate flawed state policies that ignore biological reality and unfairly undermine girls on the playing field." The Justice Department claims Minnesota violates federal law by requiring girls to compete against transgender athletes in competitions designated for girls and by allowing shared use of locker rooms and bathrooms.

The lawsuit is part of a broader federal effort targeting transgender athlete policies. The administration has filed similar suits against Maine and California, and has threatened federal funding for universities including San Jose State and the University of Pennsylvania over their transgender athlete policies.

Minnesota has resisted federal attempts to restrict transgender athletes. The state filed a preemptive lawsuit in April, arguing that Minnesota's human rights act supersedes federal executive orders and that the state already complies with Title IX. A federal ruling on the government's motion to dismiss that case is pending.

The Justice Department noted that Minnesota's Department of Education receives more than $3 billion annually in federal funding, which it says is contingent on Title IX compliance. The civil rights offices at the Education and Health and Human Services departments notified the state and league in September that they faced potential legal action.

The federal lawsuit asks a court to declare Minnesota in violation of Title IX and order the state to prohibit transgender girls from competing in girls' high school sports. More than two dozen states have enacted laws restricting transgender athletes' participation in certain sports, though courts have blocked some of these policies.