Wisconsin school board wants to bring back legislation banning transgender athletes from school sports

At least one Wisconsin School Board wants to bring back legislation to ban transgender athletes in school sports. 

The Arrowhead Union High School board’s policy committee met Tuesday and unanimously said they would support a resolution directing the Wisconsin Association of School Boards to advocate for “no biological males in female sports.” 

It’s the second time a school district has promoted the legislation.

During the school board association delegate convention in January 2024, the New London School Board brought forward a “Save Women’s Sports Bill.” 

That proposal failed. But Arrowhead board members said this week, a similar resolution is being circulated for support for the school board convention in January 2025.

The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) transgender policy ensures all students are allowed to participate in athletics. 

Arrowhead School Board President Kim Schubert told her fellow board members Tuesday there is “supporting evidence” women are being injured playing with biological men.

“In women’s volleyball, there have been a couple of young women who had severe injuries,” Schubert said. “One  young woman had severe brain injuries as a result that involved being spiked by a transgender-identified individual.” 

Schubert could not be reached for further comment.

Christopher Farris, who chairs the school board’s policy committee said the discussion to bring back the “Save Women’s Sports Bill” resolution has been going on since August or September between school board members who are delegates of the state school board association.

Wisconsin legislative Republicans and religious and conservative groups like the Wisconsin Catholic Conference, Wisconsin Family Action and Heritage Action for America have long pushed for a ban on transgender athletes in sports. 

In April, Gov. Tony Evers vetoed a bill that would have done so. 

In his veto message, Evers said he objected to “codifying discrimination into state statute.”

But during his campaign, President-elect Donald Trump hammered Democrats on the issue, making anti-transgender messages a central theme. 

Trump pledged to impose wide-ranging restrictions and roll back civil rights protections for transgender students including excluding transgender students from Title IX protections, which affect school policies on students’ use of pronouns, bathrooms and locker rooms.

Abigail Swetz, executive director of the advocacy group Fair Wisconsin, said her organization and another advocacy group, GSAFE, have a variety of tools to advance policies and achieve protections for the LGBTQ+ community. 

“We will always be here to support our LGBTQ+ youth and continue the liberation of our entire community,” Swetz said. 

GSAFE Executive Director Tyrone Creech, Jr., said going forward the group’s tactics may have to change.

“But rest assured that we will find them and we will continue the work,” Creech said. 

Title IX was originally passed in 1972 to prevent sex discrimination in education, including athletic programs. This year, the Biden administration updated the law to forbid discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation, but Trump can undo that. 

Cory Brewer, an attorney with the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty said many people view the Biden administration’s Title IX rewrite as federal overreach. 

“We will have to see exactly how this plays out in a new administration,” Brewer said. “School board members need complete and accurate information — not intimidation.”