WIAA follows federal guidance, bans transgender students from girls sports

STEVENS POINT, Wis. (Civic Media) – The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association is banning transgender student-athletes from competing in girls sports.

The announcement was made on Wednesday by the WIAA’s Executive Director, Stephanie Hauser.

“Today the WIAA Board of Control voted to update the organization’s policy regarding student-athlete eligibility – affirming its compliance with federal directives that only students designated as females at birth will be allowed to participate in girls competitions,” Hauser said in the statement. “Working in consultation with legal counsel, our Board updated this policy to ensure clarity is provided to our membership as they work to comply with new federal guidance from the White House.”

The NCAA made a similar decision in updating its transgender student-athlete policy following federal guidance.

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump issued an executive order banning anyone assigned male at birth from competing in girls or women’s sports. The federal directive essentially reverted Title IX requirements to what they were during the first Trump administration, last updated in 2020, doing away with changes made by former President Joe Biden.

The Trump administration is also set to withhold federal funding from any school that has diversity, equity, and inclusion programs still active, according to guidance from the Department of Education.

The WIAA’s rules, much like the NCAA’s, are subject to legislation at the local, state, and federal level.

The new policy is effective immediately with the WIAA Board of Control vote.