High schools in Pennsylvania will have to comply with the PIAA’s new standard or risk losing federal funding.
The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association voted last week to remove an existing policy that had deferred to school principals to determine an athlete’s “gender” when “questioned or uncertain”.
The board instead approved a policy that officials said was designed to comply with President Trump’s recent order concerning transgender athletes in high school.
The new policy adopted by the PIAA defers to principals to determine a student’s “sex” when “questioned or uncertain”, and adds a line that says, “schools are required to consult with their school solicitors relative to compliance with the order.”
The policy change is effective immediately and was amended in the Mixed Gender Participation section of the PIAA’s constitution and bylaws.
Rather than referencing a student athlete’s gender, the new policy refers to his or her biological sex.
Trump’s executive order from earlier this month gave the federal government the ability to pull funding from entities that “deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities” by allowing transgender athletes to participate.
The order, titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports”, was made by President Trump at a signing ceremony in the East Room of the White House that included lawmakers and female athletes, including former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the order will require “immediate action, including enforcement actions, against schools and athletic associations” that deny women single-sex sports and locker rooms.
The order authorizes the Education Department to penalize schools that allow transgender athletes to compete, citing noncompliance with Title IX. Any school found in violation of the executive order could potentially be ineligible for federal funding.
Following Trump’s order, the NCAA revised its policy to only allow athletes that are assigned as female at birth to participate in women’s college sports.
