The New York Times reports:

Rob Stein had been interim school superintendent in Jefferson County, Colo., for 22 days when he sued the Trump administration this summer over demands to change their transgender-inclusive policies. Dr. Stein and other district officials say they had no choice. The cash-strapped district, Jeffco Public Schools, risked losing all $50 million of its federal funding for school meals and special education if they refused. But if they acquiesced, they concluded, they would violate state laws that protect transgender students from discrimination.

In March, the administration announced that Jeffco had violated federal nondiscrimination laws by allowing students access to restrooms, locker rooms and sports teams based on their gender identity instead of biological sex. A key data point was that 61 boys were participating on girls’ athletic teams. The figure startled even district officials, mostly because, they said, there were no transgender girls competing on girls’ teams.

The district said the Trump administration had misinterpreted the information. Though the records show male participants on girls’ teams, they were team managers and mascots, not athletes. Asked about the discrepancy, an Education Department spokesperson repeated that federal investigators determined male participants had “at least 61 roster spots on girls’ sports teams.”