About a dozen girls from the Camas High School cross country team stepped off the starting line Tuesday when the gun sounded for their race against Battle Ground, declining to compete in a meet that included a transgender teammate. The protest, which has drawn national attention, prompted Camas School District Superintendent John Anzalone to say the students will not face any consequences for their decision.
Anzalone, who attended the meet, described the walk-off as peaceful and said the district would support the girls however they choose to handle the situation. He emphasized that the students are entitled to make their own decision, and that the district would not penalize them. «The girls are entitled to handle this however is best for them, and I was at the meet and it was peacefully done,» Anzalone said. «And of course, we'll support whatever they want to do.»
The controversy centers on a Camas sophomore who switched from the boys team to the girls team midseason last month after finishing 76th in a boys race. Since joining the girls team, the runner has won a varsity meet and placed second in two others. The midseason switch did not violate any rules under the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, which permits students to compete on teams consistent with their gender identity.
Anzalone said he understands the emotional weight of the situation, both as an administrator and as a parent. «It's always hard to see when students are upset, let alone our families,» he said. «And I know this issue has polarized our country for a long time, and this has probably added to that, right. And so, as a dad, it's always hard to see your own kids or any kids in the middle of something like this. And that's probably been the most heartbreaking for me, is to see certain students really kind of in the middle of this, right? They're kids.»
The protest follows growing tension at meets across Washington state. At a meet in Arlington last Saturday, numerous parents voiced their disapproval. Some athletes have also staged protests, though doing so has come with social costs. One parent told a reporter he did not want to speak because «I don't want my house burned down,» while a girl who protested last month said some friends stopped acknowledging her.
Anzalone said the district will continue to follow WIAA policy as long as it remains in place. «As long as WIAA policy allows her to run, and she's eligible to run, she'll continue running. Nothing's changed,» he said. «We don't make political stances as a school district. We just won't, and we can't. And so, as long as the policy stands, we're going to follow the policy.»
The Camas School District issued a statement Wednesday acknowledging that students and community members hold differing views on athletic eligibility and have the right to express those views peacefully. The statement noted that the district follows state law and WIAA rules, and that RCW 28A.642 prohibits discrimination in public schools based on gender identity and gender expression.
The next scheduled meet for Camas is the Greater St. Helen's League district meet on Oct. 21. A parent of one of the protesting runners said she is unsure how the girls will proceed. The district meet allows only seven varsity runners per team, meaning the transgender runner will likely displace one of his female teammates. Anzalone said no action will be taken to prevent that scenario.
Washington voters will soon weigh in on the broader policy. Initiative 638, on the November 3 ballot, would require K-12 students to compete on teams corresponding to their biological sex. A spokesperson for Let's Go Washington, the group behind the measure, said it would take effect 30 days after the election, though certification delays could push that timeline back. Cross country season would be over by then, but the initiative could prevent similar situations in the future. Anzalone said Camas would comply with whatever rules are in place. «I'm at a point where I have to stand by policy and by law,» he said. «And like I said earlier, if those change or go in a different direction, we'll follow that.»