Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


A local lawmaker has introduced his first bill that would require K-12 schools in Michigan to separate student athletes by biological sex.

Within hours of the Michigan High School Athletic Association announcing it would not comply with President Donald Trump’s executive order prohibiting biological males from competing in female sports divisions, local State Representative Jason Woolford introduced his first-ever bill requiring K-12 schools in Michigan to separate student athletes by biological sex.

The Howell Republican’s legislation, House Bill 4066, would amend Michigan’s revised school code to direct school districts to separate female and male youth sports participants strictly into female and male sports divisions.

The bill also expressly prohibits male students from participating in female sports divisions, prohibits the state government from investigating or charging a school for enforcing this separation, and provides grounds for a lawsuit to any student who is harmed due to a violation of the policy.

Woolford said “The executive order that President Trump signed on National Girls and Women in Sports Day last week received an immense outpouring of support from women and girls of all ages, and the MHSAA’s defiance of this commonsense policy only continues to perpetuate the madness of this radical transgender ideology that endangers female athletes. From the White House to here in the Statehouse, Republicans are working to protect women and girls from the absurd cultural messaging that has promoted abdication and accommodation on this front.”

A release states the MHSAA allowed two biological males to compete in female sports divisions for the 2024-25 school year. The association announced it will continue to permit the male athletes to compete against female athletes despite President Trump’s executive order on February 5th instructing all athletics associations governed by educational institutions to stop requiring female students to compete with or against or to appear unclothed before males.

Woolford said “Female athletes should not be subjected to biological males invading their private spaces, destroying the competitive integrity of their sports, and even endangering their physical safety, whether that be through allowing men into their locker rooms or forcing women and girls to contend with much stronger, bigger, and physical athletic opponents”.

The executive order, titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” gives federal agencies wide latitude to ensure entities that receive federal funding abide by Title IX in alignment with the Trump administration’s view, which interprets “sex” as the gender someone was assigned at birth.

The AP reports the biggest takeaway is that the Trump administration has empowered the federal government to take aggressive steps to go after entities — be they a school or an athletic association — that do not comply. Federal funding — and potentially grants to educational programs — could be pulled.

The MHSAA has cited potential conflicts between the executive order and Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act”, which prohibits discrimination based on gender identity.

The order was condemned by trans-rights advocates, including the National Women's Law Center and GLAAD. Lawsuits and challenges are expected, with some civil rights advocates and attorneys arguing Trump's orders violate laws adopted by Congress as well as protections in the Constitution.

President/CEO of the National Women's Law Center Fatima Goss Graves issued the following response to the executive order:

“Today’s executive order is another attempt to bully trans people, including children, and misuse the government to enforce sexist gender roles. President Trump’s actions are cruel, blatant attempts to eviscerate safe, affirming, and equitable schools, a right that every student deserves, including transgender youth. Contrary to what the president wants you to believe, trans students do not pose threats to sports, schools, or this country, and they deserve the same opportunities as their peers to learn, play and grow up in safe environments. The far-right’s disturbing obsession with controlling the bodies, hearts, and minds of our country’s youth harms all students. Rather than protecting women and girls, sports bans harm any of us who do not conform to someone else’s idea of what a woman or girl should look, dress, or act like. Policymakers should instead focus on ending the enormous disparity that remains in sports opportunities for women and girls and equally funding women’s and girls’ teams. And schools and sports governing bodies should stand firmly against implementing this unlawful executive order and ensure every student has an opportunity to play. We stand with trans students and will continue to fight back against attacks on their rights.”