The News: The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) secured a temporary injunction for our client, Macy Weigel, against the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA).
The Quotes: WILL Associate Counsel, Skylar Croy, stated, “The WIAA made an arbitrary decision to exclude a student athlete from a school-sponsored and taxpayer-funded co-curricular activity. Today, that injustice has been rectified for now.”
Emily Weigel stated, “I am excited for my daughter to get on the field with her friends and enjoy her junior year playing softball. She is so grateful for this opportunity.”
From the Judge’s Order: Circuit Court Judge, Michael P. Screnock, stated, “The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association is enjoined from applying the ineligibility provisions of Article II, Section 3.A.3. of its Rules of Eligibility to Macy Weigel with respect to her participation in varsity sports with Baraboo High School during the 2024-25 school year.”
Additional Background: The Weigel family’s oldest daughter, Macy, began her high school career at a small, tuition-based Christian school in Baraboo, which did not offer athletic programming. Macy has a strong passion for softball and has played it for years in a local recreational program but has never had an opportunity to participate in high school softball.
Shortly after Macy started high school, the Weigel’s youngest child was diagnosed with a rare, but serious, blood condition. She spent nine weeks in the hospital and required significant follow-up care. Her mother, Emily, left her full-time job as an educator to help her daughter through this period. With significant medical care needs and the stark loss of Emily’s employment income, the Weigel’s decided that continuing Macy at a private school no longer made financial sense. Macy then transferred to her local public school.
The WIAA determined Macy was ineligible for one year theorizing the transfer was not caused by an “extenuating circumstance.” WILL filed a lawsuit arguing that WIAA had acted arbitrarily and that the Baraboo School District had unlawfully given control over who may participate in school-sponsored and taxpayer-funded co-curricular activities to a purportedly private entity not controlled by any accountable government actor.
