Will County Gazette

As a contentious statewide and national debate swirls around transgender participation in girls' high school sports, one key decision-maker has remained silent: Ron Lear, retiring athletic director at Plainfield North High School and a current member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors.

Lear, who is set to retire at the end of the 2024–2025 school year after a 14-year tenure leading Plainfield North’s athletic programs, has not issued any public comment regarding the IHSA's refusal to comply with President Donald Trump’s recent executive order barring biological males from competing in female sports categories.

The IHSA’s stance has drawn criticism from lawmakers and advocacy groups. But none of the board’s 10 members, including Lear who was elected to the Board in 2022, have responded to interview requests to discuss their personal positions on the matter, prompting concerns about transparency and accountability.

Lear, who was elected in 2023 to represent Division 3—a region covering 125 schools—is the first official from Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202 to serve on the IHSA Board. His election followed a rule change allowing athletic administrators, not just principals, to hold board positions if they serve as their school's IHSA representative.

Despite his decades of service and leadership in high school athletics, Lear has remained silent on the issue even as the national spotlight intensifies. 

A recent New York Times/Ipsos poll found that 79% of Americans, including 67% of Democrats, oppose allowing transgender women to compete in women’s sports. 

Trump’s executive order, titled "Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports," directs federal agencies to withhold funding from schools and organizations that do not comply—though the IHSA claims exemption due to its private status and lack of federal funding.

In a March 17 letter, 40 Republican state lawmakers urged the IHSA to clarify its transgender athlete policy, which currently allows students to compete based on gender identity. 

Assistant Executive Director Matt Troha confirmed IHSA’s stance has not changed. 

“There has been no recent vote by the IHSA Board on this matter,” Troha told Prairie State Wire. “Per our letter, there is a law in Illinois that has existed for many years that allows participation by transgender student-athletes in IHSA State Series (post-season) competition. President Trump’s Executive Order obviously conflicts with that, and we have reached out to state lawmakers seeking clarification on remaining in legal compliance.”

Lear has not addressed the controversy in public forums. 

A Morris native and former girls’ bowling coach, Lear rose through the ranks to become a respected figure in Illinois athletics. He has overseen 26 sports programs, served as conference president and led multiple initiatives focused on student-athlete development.

While he plans to stay connected to sports through officiating and support roles, Lear’s legacy—and his silence—may be shaped by the IHSA’s ongoing decision to resist federal directives, even as investigations into Title IX compliance unfold in Illinois schools.

“I am one of the people out there who can say I lived my dream and became one of the best Athletic Directors in the state of Illinois,” Lear said in an interview with The Prowler.