VHSL says it will follow Trump’s executive order banning transgender women in women’s high school sports

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- The Virginia High School League (VHSL) has announced that it will now follow an executive order from President Donald Trump last week preventing transgender women from playing on women's high school sports teams.

According to a social post from Governor Glenn Youngkin, VHSL announced its transgender student participation policy change on Monday, Feb. 10.

The VHSL Executive Committee reportedly voted to comply with the executive order, limiting "competition in girls' sports to students assigned female at birth only." The policy went into effect immediately.

"The VHSL is an association comprising 318 member schools with more than 177,000 students participating yearly in sports and academic activities," a statement reads from VHSL executive director, Dr. John "Billy" Haun. "The CHSL is the governing body, and our members schools look to and rely on VHSL for policy and guidance. To that end, the VHSL will comply with the Executive Order ... The compliance will provide membership clear and consistent direction."

VHSL staff will reportedly adjust the language in the VHSL Handbook and Policy Manual in the coming days.

"Common sense wins," Youngkin said in his post on X. "Today, the governing bodies for Virginia’s public and private high school athletics announced they would follow President Trump’s EO to protect girls sports."

Youngkin also shared a letter from Adam Brick, executive director for the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association (VISAA), that stated the association's private schools would also comply with the executive order.

The executive order was issued by Trump on Wednesday, Feb. 5.

"[Trans women participating on these teams] is demeaning, unfair and dangerous to women and girls and denies women and girls the equal opportunity to participate and excel in competitive sports,” Trump wrote in the order.

On Thursday, Feb. 6, a spokesperson for VHSL told 8News that the league would "continue following the current policy and the current law in Virginia.” However, on Friday, Feb. 7, the spokesperson clarified that they were taking time to review the order.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) changed its own policies on Thursday, Feb. 6, to prevent those assigned male at birth from participating on women’s teams at the college level.