HILBERT, Wis. – Hilbert High School athlete April Gehl’s recent criticism of the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association resulted in a five game suspension.

The WIAA recently sent out an email to member schools about sportsmanship and chanting at sports events, and Hilbert High School athletics officials forwarded the message on to student athletes, the Appleton Post Crescent reports.

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Gehl’s response, sent out in a tweet to her followers Jan. 4: “EAT S*** WIAA”.

 

Gehl sent the tweet last Monday, and by Wednesday she was hit with a five game suspension by school officials after the WIAA contacted the district.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Gehl, a three-sport star and 3.5 GPA honor roll student, told the news site. “I was like, ‘Really? For tweeting my opinion?’ I thought it was ridiculous.”

The initial WIAA email, sent by communications director Todd Clark, expressed concerns about the “amount of chants by student sections directed at opponents and/or opponents’ supporters that are clearly intended to disrespect.”

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“Not wanting to restrict creativity or enjoyment, an enthusiastic and boisterous display of support for a school’s team is welcomed and encouraged at interscholastic events when directed in a positive manner,” the email read.

“However, any action directed at opposing teams or their spectators with the intent to taunt, disrespect, distract or entice an unsporting behavior in a response is not acceptable sportsmanship. Student groups, school administrators and event managers should take immediate steps to correct this unsporting behavior.”

It continued:

Some specific examples of unsporting behavior including (sic) chants directed at opposing participants and/or fans. Among the chants that have been heard at recent high school sporting events are: “You can’t do that,” “Fundamentals,” “Airball,” “There’s a net there,” “Sieve,” “We can’t hear you,” the “scoreboard” cheer, and “Season’s over” during tournament series.

The email was originally sent to schools in December, and forwarded to Hilbert students early last week.

Gehl’s mother, Jill Gehl, told the Post Crescent the WIAA sent school athletic director Stan Diedrich a copy of her daughter’s tweet with instructions to “please take care of it,” though the WIAA denies the demand.

“My mom asked to see the email and (Diedrich) showed it to her,” Gehl said. “Because it came directly from the WIAA, they felt they had to do something, and that’s why I got punished that way.”

Gehl said she didn’t remove her tweet because she “was already punished for it.”

“I mean, I never thought it would get me in trouble like that,” she told the Post Crescent.

According to The Big Lead, Gehl is the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, with 15.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. The team is currently 7-3. Gehl doesn’t plan to appeal her suspension, according to the site.

Forbes also weighed in with an editorial questioning the severity Gehl’s punishment.

Numerous folks who commented online clearly thought the suspension is absurd.

“Once again the WIAA shows what a fascist organization it is. Some of the chants they complain about have been around since I was I high school and that was 30 years ago,” Frederick Gloede posted. “WIAA, grow a pair and just deal with it.”

“Hey, WIAA, get off your high horse and let her play she is under no contract,” Shaun and Becca Kettner wrote. “It is her constitutional right to say her opinion on what she thinks about the WIAA.”

“Five games is equal to a drug use suspension,” Jan Dellis pointed out, “makes total sense.”