With the support of high school track and field coaches, the Kennewick School Board passed a resolution Wednesday night denouncing transgender girls from participating in divisions with their cisgender competitors.
The board, through Resolution 10, said it was committed to "protecting female sports" and that "biological males should not participate in biological females sports."
The few coaches who attended the business meeting called on the state's premier high school sporting organization, Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, to enforce biological divisions and create new ones for trans and gender-nonconforming student-athletes.
One Kamiakin High School track coach said girls sports were "under attack."
Board member Josh Miller, who practices orthopedic surgery, said there were stark physiological differences between the two genders and that they should be "comparing apples to apples" when talking about sports.
"The research is pretty clear: It is not anywhere close to fair," he said. "This is not a condemnation, or in any ways saying trans athletes shouldn't be allowed to participate in sports. I think it's great. I encourage all those who are interested in sports to participate in sports. But I think we need to make sure it protects the integrity of female sports."
The board's resolution comes as the U.S. Department of Education under the Biden Administration implements new gender discrimination protections for gay and queer students this summer.
The new changes to Title IX — the federal law passed more than five decades ago to end sex-based discrimination in colleges and schools — do not explicitly include athletes and sports. But some say it might open the door to broader interpretations for queer student-athletes.
The board's action is also in large part a response to growing representation of transgender people in sports, and in particular a debate over fairness. Despite this, trans athletes, especially at the high school level, make up only a tiny fraction of all competitors.
But many cited the recent performance of Veronica Garcia, an East Valley High School junior, who won the 2A girls 400-meter dash and propelled her team to a first-place finish at the state meet. She became the first transgender athlete to win a state high school track meet ever in Washington.
Kennewick School Board members say they hope the resolution begins a statewide dialogue. President Gabe Galbraith said he planned to get the passed resolution out to "every school board in the state" for consideration.
But some community members said the board's resolution aimed to keep queer and trans students quiet.
"You don't get to have trans debates without trans voices anymore," said Cara Nokes, a trans woman and parent to four students in the district, who spoke out at the meeting.
"I find it hilarious that we once again find ourselves in a position with zealous school board members attempting to defy the state's position and rule, who only affect an already marginalized and at-risk population they have been voted in to protect," she continued.
A 'potentially discriminatory environment'
The board voted 3-0 to approve the resolution, titled "Title IX Regulations Supporting Fairness in Competition and Student Safety."
Galbraith, Miller and Vice President Micah Valentine voted in favor of the resolution. Board members Brittany Gledhill and Mike Connors were not in attendance at this week's meeting.
"It is absolutely ludicrous that we are sitting here talking about having males in female sports," Galbraith said, adding that it's "not safe" and "unfair" to have these athletes competing together.
Everett Maroon, co-chair of the Washington State LGBTQ Commission, said it was "disappointing" to see the school board adopt a resolution that "furthers misunderstanding" of young athletes and their abilities.
"This resolution creates a potentially discriminatory environment in violation of a law, as gender identity is protected class in Washington state. All youth have the right to the full school experience, which includes participation and extracurricular activities, in alignment with their gender identity," Maroon said in a statement.
The WIAA, of which Kennewick high schools are registered members of, has prohibited the discrimination of student-athletes based on their preferred identity for the last two decades now.
Kennewick's resolution is not binding — it serves as more of an opinion of the governing board — and will not have any impact on transgender or intersex athletes currently participating in sports at Kamiakin, Kennewick or Southridge high schools, if there are any at all.
It's unclear how many students in Kennewick schools might identify as transgender. State demographics data does not discriminate transgender students from their cisgender peers, and state law guarantees the rights of students to be treated consistent with the their gender identity while at school.
About two months ago, the Kennewick School Board passed a policy revision encouraging parents to be included in discussions when a student wants their school to change their gender identity, pronouns or name.
Track and Field Support
Galbraith said their gender sports resolution came about after a high school track and field coach reached out with concerns following Garcia's state win.
Dustin and Sheila Smith, both Southridge High School track and field coaches, were among the concerned coaches who attended Wednesday's meeting.
Dustin Smith, a throwing coach of 30 years, called the resolution "a step in the right direction for our district." He says everyone should be allowed to compete, but the divisions should be competitive.
He points to the shot put as an example of differences. Girl's shot puts are about three-quarters the weight of those that boys compete with, he says, which makes a significant difference.
"A 40-foot boy thrower is a dime a dozen. But you get a girl that throws 40 feet and that's a state-caliber throw," he said. "It's not that we want to slight kids the opportunity, it's just not fair."
He also says international sporting organizations, including the World Athletic Council, have adopted tighter restrictions — or even outright bans — on transgender athletes competing in certain divisions.
Sheila Smith told the board that Kennewick's best high school boys already rank on the state level, and many would rank No. 1 nationally if they competed in the girls division.
"When our girls are expected to compete against boys, it is degrading and humiliating, especially when they're told just to try harder," she said.
It was not clear from the discussion whether any trans students had actually attempted to compete in the district.
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