The News: The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) warned the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) to scrap its illegal race and sex-based quotas. The WIAA, which governs sports for nearly 90,000 Wisconsin students, denies individuals the ability to seek certain WIAA leadership positions based solely on their race or sex. WILL is providing a formal warning to the association to end these discriminatory practices immediately.

The Quote: WILL Deputy Counsel, Rebecca Furdek, stated, “No organization, public or private, has the right to discriminate in the name of diversity. The WIAA is using race and sex as a litmus test for its leadership positions, which is illegal. We are warning the WIAA to end this practice now.”

Background: The WIAA is a nonprofit organization that governs high school athletics for over 500 Wisconsin high schools, including virtually all public high schools, affecting an estimated 85,000 to 90,000 students. The WIAA’s Handbook mandates that specific seats on its governing bodies are selected based on race and sex criteria.

These quotas include:


  • Board of Control: Requires specified “at-large” seats reserved for a “gender minority” and an “ethnic minority.”
  • Advisory Council: Mandates race and sex-based slots for its 18-member administrative body.
  • Middle Level Council: Imposes similar quotas for those governing middle school (grades 6-8) athletics.
  • Officials Advisory Committee: Reserves positions for “gender” and “ethnic” minorities among its 15-member committee.

WILL’s Legal Argument: These quotas violate the U.S. Constitution, as well as federal and state law. Under the law, no one can be denied a position because of their race or sex. Furthermore, these illegal policies jeopardize the WIAA’s status as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

WILL’s Track Record: Courts across the country are consistently striking down these types of discriminatory quotas. In 2021, WILL successfully sued the City of Madison over quotas on its Police Oversight Board, resulting in a settlement, including attorney fees and damages. Other groups have challenged discriminatory quotas on public boards. In 2024, Iowa’s sex-based quotas for judicial nominations were struck down, and in 2026, a federal court in Arkansas issued a permanent injunction against race-based quotas on the State Ethics Commission.

Read More:

Letter to WIAA, May 2026

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