Wyoming

Trump administration investigates University of Wyoming over transgender sorority sister – WyoFile

Published

9 months ago

June 3, 2025

Trump administration investigates University of Wyoming over transgender sorority sister – WyoFile

The Trump administration announced Monday it’s investigating the University of Wyoming for alleged Title IX violations stemming from members of a campus sorority voting to admit a transgender woman in 2022, despite the school’s insistence that it doesn’t have a say in the membership of the private organization.

Critics of the admission of Artemis Langford have, until now, focused their efforts on the sorority itself: Kappa Kappa Gamma. Six of the sorority’s members sued the organization over the decision to admit Langford in 2023, but the case was dismissed by U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson, who ruled the government cannot interfere with how a private, voluntary organization chooses its members.

The lawsuit did not name the University of Wyoming as a defendant. That didn’t stop the Trump administration, which has already challenged California and Maine over transgender policies, from pursuing an investigation into the Equality State’s lone, four-year public university.

“[The Office for Civil Rights] launched an investigation into the University of Wyoming after the university allowed a man to join a campus sorority,” the Department of Education announced in a statement Monday, indicating that, at least in the administration’s view, the onus was on the university to police KKG’s membership practices, a stance that at least one attorney who focuses on Title IX issues told WyoFile was legally questionable.

The Department of Education revealed the investigation in an announcement recognizing June as “Title IX Month.” (June is more prominently known as Pride Month, a time of recognition of the LGBTQ+ community.) The department said it would “highlight actions taken to reverse the Biden Administration’s legacy of undermining Title IX and announce additional actions to protect women in line with the true purpose of Title IX.”

The school, for its part, continues to maintain that Langford’s admission is a sorority matter. The University of Wyoming’s “position has been that it doesn’t control decisions about sorority and fraternity membership,” the university said in a prepared statement. “Appropriately, the university has not been a participant in litigation in federal court regarding the legality of the sorority’s decision to admit the transgender student.”

Title IX — a federal law prohibiting discrimination based on sex in educational programs and activities — provides an exemption for the membership practices of social sororities and fraternities, according to attorney Melissa Carleton, who works with colleges and universities across the country on Title IX issues.

The Department of Education claims that KKG lost its exemption as a sorority by deviating from single-sex membership practices by deciding to admit a transgender woman.

Because the statute says social sororities “are outside the bounds of Title IX, it’s not clear the [Department of Education] has enforcement authority,” to define who can and cannot be a member, Carleton said.

The Kappa Kappa Gamma house pictured on a fall day in 2023. (Madelyn Beck/WyoFile)

If UW is found to be in violation of Title IX, its federal funding could be on the line, Carleton said.

“The Office for Civil Rights’ initiation of an investigation is not itself evidence of a violation of federal civil rights laws and regulations,” UW stated. “The university believes it has been and is in compliance with Title IX but intends to fully cooperate with the investigation and will work with the Office for Civil Rights to come into compliance if needed.”

How we got here

The announcement comes just days before a deadline in an ongoing civil lawsuit against UW’s Kappa Kappa Gamma chapter that began over two years ago.

In March 2023, six members sued the sorority for allegedly breaking its bylaws, breaching housing contracts and misleading sisters when it admitted Langford, a transgender woman, by a majority vote of its members.

The plaintiffs include Jaylyn Westenbroek, Hannah Holtmeier, Allison Coghan, Grace Choate, Madeline Ramar and Megan Kosar.

Reasoning that the government cannot interfere with how a private, voluntary organization determines its members, a U.S. District Court dismissed the case in August 2023.

The suing sorority sisters appealed the decision, but the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected their arguments and gave the plaintiffs two options: amend their complaint or ask the lower court for a final judgment.

“More than nine months after the Tenth Circuit issued its decision, they have neither amended their complaint nor notified us of their decision to ‘stand on the original complaint,’ which would allow them to receive a final judgment that could be appealed,” U.S. District Court Judge Alan Johnson wrote, ordering the plaintiffs to fish or cut bait by June 9.

The plaintiffs had not taken court action as of press time.

The plaintiffs have, however, developed a direct connection with the Trump administration since their initial complaint.

May Mailman, who previously worked as their attorney, joined the White House in January as deputy assistant and senior policy strategist to President Donald Trump.

During the time that Mailman represented the plaintiffs, she worked as legal director of the Independent Women’s Forum, a DC-based, right-wing policy group that attached itself to the case. Several of the plaintiffs now serve as “ambassadors” for the organization and can be booked for speaking events.

“With the help of Independent Women, the University of Wyoming sorority sisters have been standing up for sisterhood and to keep sororities female ever since. Their advocacy footprint has expanded reaching sorority women nationwide,” the organization said in a press release shortly following the Department of Education’s announcement.

Langford never lived in the sorority house on campus. In a statement to WyoFile, her attorney said her client did not know what prompted the Trump administration to launch an investigation now.

“After Ms. Langford’s sisters voted her into the sorority, some filed a Title IX complaint about her admission. Ms. Langford does not know who those sisters were,” her attorney, Rachel Berkness, said in a statement that noted the complaint was eventually dropped. “After Ms. Langford celebrated her graduation from UW last month, she is surprised to learn that the Independent Women’s Forum, a political think tank that has promoted itself through litigation against Ms. Langford, is now advertising a new Title IX investigation.”

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Wyoming

Wyoming Coaches Pick the Best of 1A & 2A Boys Basketball in 2026

Published

2 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

Wyoming Coaches Pick the Best of 1A & 2A Boys Basketball in 2026

The top boys’ basketball players in Wyoming for Classes 1A and 2A were chosen for the 2026 high school season. The Wyoming Coaches Association has unveiled the all-state awards for this year, as voted on by the head coaches in the two classifications, respectively. The Wyoming Coaches Association only recognizes one team for all-state, and only these players receive an award certificate from the WCA. WyoPreps only lists all-state players as defined by the WCA.

WCA 1A-2A BOYS BASKETBALL ALL-STATE SELECTIONS IN 2026

Each class selected 14 players for all-state, reflecting a broad recognition of talent across Wyoming. Notably, congratulations go to Hulett’s Kyle Smith, Brady Cook from Lingle-Fort Laramie, and Carsten Freeburg from Pine Bluffs, who earned all-state honors for the third straight year. In addition, eight more players achieved all-state status for the second time in their prep careers.

Class 1A

Paul McNiven – Burlington

Bitner Philpott – Burlington

Ammon Hatch – Cokeville (All-State in 2025)

Hudson Himmerich – Cokeville

Kyle Smith – Hulett (All-State 2024 & 2025)

Anthony Arnusch – Lingle-Ft. Laramie

Brady Cook – Lingle-Ft. Laramie (All-State 2024 & 2025)

Tymber Cozzens – Little Snake River (All-State in 2025)

Corbin Matthews – Lusk

Max Potas – Meeteetse (All-State in 2024)

Jace Westring – Saratoga

Hazen Williams – Saratoga

TJ Moats – Southeast (All-State in 2024)

Nic Schiller – Upton

Read More Boys Basketball News from WyoPreps

WyoPreps 1A-2A State Basketball Scoreboard 2026

WyoPreps 3A-4A Regional Basketball Scoreboard 2026

WyoPreps Coaches and Media Final Basketball Poll 2026

1A-2A Boys Basketball Regional Scoreboard 2026

WyoPreps Boys Basketball Week 11 Scores 2026

WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Polls 2-25-26

WyoPreps Boys Basketball Week 10 Scores 2026

WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Polls 2-18-26

WyoPreps Boys Basketball Week 9 Scores 2026

WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Polls 2-11-26

WyoPreps Boys Basketball Week 8 Scores 2026

WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Polls 2-4-26

Class 2A

Caleb Adsit – Big Horn

Chase Garber – Big Horn

Carsten Freeburg – Pine Bluffs (All-State 2024 & 2025)

Mason Moss – Rocky Mountain

Oakley Hicks – Shoshoni

Kade Mills – Sundance

Cody Bomengen – Thermopolis (All-State in 2025)

Zak Hastie – Thermopolis

Ellis Webber – Thermopolis (All-State in 2025)

Joseph Kimbrell – Wright

Mitchell Strohschein – Wright (All-State in 2025)

Adriano Brown – Wyoming Indian

Heeyei’Niitou Monroe-Black – Wyoming Indian (All-State in 2025)

Cordell Spoonhunter – Wyoming Indian

The 2026 state champions were the Saratoga Panthers in Class 1A. They beat Lingle-Fort Laramie, 50-45, in the championship game. The 2A winners were the Thermopolis Bobcats, who repeated as champions, after a 45-38 victory over Wyoming Indian in the title game.

Lusk versus Rock River high school basketball 2026

Game action between the Tigers and Longhorns

Gallery Credit: Courtesy: Lisa Shaw

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Wyoming

New laws establish a statewide literacy program

Published

14 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

New laws establish a statewide literacy program

A pair of bills signed into law last week aim to build out a more comprehensive system of literacy education across Wyoming’s public schools.

One mandates evidence-based practices and requires regular screenings for dyslexia, while the other enables the Wyoming Department of Education (WDE) to hire a dedicated literacy professional to oversee statewide compliance.

Gov. Mark Gordon’s signing of both bills on Friday was the latest accomplishment of an ongoing push for improved literacy standards. That push has been spearheaded by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder.

“Wyoming is not going to let a single child fall through the cracks,” Degenfelder said during a public bill signing last week. “We are not going to fall behind when it comes to ensuring that our children can read at grade level.”

The primary bill, Senate File 59, establishes a statewide K-12 program for teaching students to read that is built on “evidence based language and literacy instruction, assessment, intervention and professional development that supports educators, engages families and promotes literacy proficiency for all Wyoming students.”

The bill defines evidence-based strategies as those that conform to the science of reading, a term that will be defined and updated by Degenfelder’s office. Nationwide, it generally means putting academic research into practice in classrooms. SF 59 specifically prohibits the exclusive use of “three-cueing” — a strategy once widely employed to teach reading but which education experts now say is outdated and less effective than other strategies.

It also requires annual dyslexia screeners for students below the third grade, and testing for reading difficulties for all students.

The screeners are used to identify the severity of reading difficulties in order to direct “tiered” support that offers the most intensive interventions to the students most in need, while still providing “evidence based” language instruction to all students.

Each school district must formulate an individualized reading plan “for each student identified as having reading difficulties or at risk for poor reading outcomes.”

Districts must now report to the state annually regarding their literacy-related work. Any district where 60% or more of the students are struggling will be required to implement “summer literacy camps or extended supports, including after school support and tutoring.”

The bill also requires literacy related professional development for teachers and specialists “appropriate to their role and level of responsibility” related to literacy education.

SF 59 was backed by dyslexia advocates and literacy specialists.

Senate File 14, the other literacy bill signed into law Friday, appropriates $120,000 annually for the next two years for a full-time position at WDE “to assist school districts in implementing a reading assessment and intervention program and language and literacy programs.”

Both bills go into effect July 1.

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Wyoming

Wyoming Announces 2026 Football Schedule – SweetwaterNOW

Published

1 day ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Wyoming Announces 2026 Football Schedule

Samuel “Tote” Harris. Photo from gowyo.com

LARAMIE — The University of Wyoming and the Mountain West Conference announced the Cowboys’ 2026 football schedule Monday, a slate that opens with the Border War and concludes with back-to-back home games in Laramie.

Wyoming opens the season Sept. 5 on the road against Colorado State in the 118th edition of the Border War. The Cowboys then host Northern Colorado on Sept. 12 in the home opener before traveling to Central Michigan on Sept. 19.

The Cowboys begin Mountain West play Sept. 26 at home against Hawaii in a matchup for the Paniolo Trophy. Wyoming then faces back-to-back road games at North Dakota State on Oct. 3 and San Jose State on Oct. 10.

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Wyoming returns to War Memorial Stadium on Oct. 17 to host conference newcomer Northern Illinois before facing Air Force at home on Oct. 24. The Cowboys will have an open week on Oct. 31.

The Cowboys open November with road games at UNLV on Nov. 7 and at UTEP on Nov. 14, marking Wyoming’s first meeting with the Miners as members of the Mountain West. Wyoming closes conference play by hosting New Mexico on Nov. 21 and wraps up the regular season with a nonconference game against UConn on Nov. 28 in Laramie.

Each Mountain West team will play four home and four road conference games during the 13-week season, which will conclude with the Mountain West Football Championship Game featuring the two teams with the highest conference winning percentages. The championship game date will be announced later.

With the conference schedule set, Mountain West television partners CBS Sports, FOX Sports, and The CW will begin selecting broadcast games, which could include moving some contests to non-Saturday dates. Network assignments and kickoff times will be announced at a later date.

Season ticket renewals for the 2026 Wyoming football season are now available. Fans can renew their tickets online by visiting gowyo.com/tickets and logging into their account.

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