Attorney General Pam Bondi said Monday that the Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against the state of Minnesota, led by Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, over policies allowing biological males to compete in girls’ sports and access female locker rooms.

Bondi announced the lawsuit on social media, stating the federal government is challenging what it views as noncompliance with regulations designed to protect women’s athletics. In a formal DOJ statement, she said the administration “does not tolerate flawed state policies that ignore biological reality and unfairly undermine girls on the playing field.”

The attorney general added that the department will coordinate with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. and Education Secretary Linda McMahon as the case proceeds. She emphasized that the administration considers the issue a matter of fairness and safety for female students in school sports.

The lawsuit marks a significant escalation in the ongoing national debate over transgender participation in athletics, particularly at the high school level, where federal and state policies have increasingly come into conflict.

The legal challenge comes as Walz and other Minnesota officials are also facing scrutiny over a separate federal investigation into alleged fraud involving state programs. A White House-backed task force has pointed to potential misuse of taxpayer funds tied to schemes involving childcare centers and food assistance programs.

According to federal estimates cited by the administration, billions of dollars may have been improperly spent in Minnesota in recent years, including significant irregularities in Medicaid and food stamp disbursements.

Walz and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison have been called to testify before Congress regarding the allegations. During a recent hearing, Republican lawmakers pressed both officials over their handling of oversight concerns, including issues tied to the “Feeding Our Future” program, which saw rapid growth in funding despite repeated warnings from auditors and whistleblowers.

The administration’s lawsuit over sports policy and the ongoing fraud investigation together place Minnesota’s leadership under heightened federal scrutiny, as legal and political battles continue to unfold.