Wausau School District seeks legal advice on boys’ hockey options

The Wausau School District is seeking legal guidance as it works to find a varsity hockey opportunity for Wausau East boys. The School Board authorized district administrators to retain legal counsel to explore possible options after a proposed cooperative arrangement with Wausau West failed to receive approval from the Wisconsin Valley Conference.

The issue developed after Merrill Area Public Schools withdrew from its cooperative hockey program with Wausau East. Merrill had grown its program enough to field its own team, while Wausau East does not currently have enough players to support a varsity team independently.

A proposed co-op between Wausau East and Wausau West received a 3-3 vote in the conference, leaving the proposal without the approval needed to move forward. Wausau East, Wausau West and D.C. Everest supported the arrangement. Stevens Point, Marshfield and Wisconsin Rapids opposed it. Another conference vote on the proposal is scheduled for December 9.

During the school board discussion, member Pat McKee also raised questions about whether the lack of a varsity hockey opportunity for East boys could create concerns under Title IX, the federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in federally funded education programs. McKee pointed out that Wausau East girls have access to varsity hockey through a cooperative program. He emphasized that he was not asking the board to determine whether a violation had occurred, but wanted legal counsel to review the circumstances. The board approved the motion to seek legal advice, leaving the district with additional work to do before the next conference vote.

The situation also has a direct connection to Merrill, whose decision to establish its own hockey program helped create the current challenge for Wausau East.