Washington High School League Faces Backlash Over State Rules on Trans Athletes

WIAA says Washington state law bars men from girls' sports even if members vote to change it. Initiative 638 heads to voters.

Washington parents talk about massive protest by male athletes in girls cross country

Washington state parents Kevin and Sara Burns watched as their daughter Holly Burns joined a massive protest of female athletes pulling out of a cross country race in response to a male competitor.

Washington state has been rocked in recent weeks by the controversy of a male cross country runner who switched from a boys' to a girls' team midseason. The controversy culminated in a protest Tuesday, when about a dozen female runners for Camas High School walked off the track, refusing to compete with their new male teammates.

The Washington School Athletic Association says state law prevents it from implementing proposed changes to its participation policy.

In a statement to OutKick, the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) told OutKick it could not adopt a new policy to keep boys out of girls' sports, even if its members voted to change the policy, because it would "violate Washington state law."

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"In the past two years, through the association's reform process, three amendments have been proposed to change gender identity participation policies. These amendments did not meet the 60 percent threshold for approval. However, even if the amendments met the threshold and were approved, the WIAA could not implement a policy that violated Washington state law. The proposed amendments would have violated state law. If state law changes, the WIAA's executive board will adopt policies to conform to the law," reads a WIAA statement in part. State reviews.

Washington voters are set to decide next month whether to change the rules.

Initiative 638, which would bar biologically male students from competing in some girls-only school sports and require health care provider confirmation of biological sex, will come to the state's Nov. 3 ballot.

Democrats currently hold majorities in both state legislatures and control the governor's office. Democratic Governor Bob Ferguson has announced his opposition to Initiative 638.

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"Washingtonians need to know that I-638 does not create opportunities for girls, but forces them to undergo invasive gender-affirmation tests to participate in sports," Ferguson said in a statement released Sept. 29 by the WA State Opponent, No Hate campaign.

The measure reached the ballot box after lawmakers took no action on it in the 2026 session. Earlier this year, Democratic legislative leaders said they would leave the decision up to voters.

The vote comes as the state grapples with several controversies involving men in girls' sports, including a Camas cross country runner and a separate incident involving a transgender wrestler who allegedly assaulted a female athlete during a match last December, according to a complaint. The prosecutor refused to file criminal charges in that case.

In its statement to OutKick, the WIAA described itself as a membership-based association whose members create its rules. The organization said its gender participation policy has been in place since the 2007-08 school year and was adopted to align with Washington law.

"The WIAA is a membership-based association. The membership establishes the rules contained in the WIAA handbook. The gender identity participation policies found in the WIAA handbook at Rule 18.16.0 shall be in effect for 20 years beginning with the 2007-2008 school year. The rules were adopted to align with the Washington State Student Code. This statement states that students must participate in sports consistent with the gender with which they identify.

"WIAA Handbook 18.16.0 states that school personnel will work with the student to determine eligibility, however, no timetable has been established for changing teams. WIAA Handbook 17.11 establishes practice regulations that specify the minimum number of practice requirements. WIAA Handbook 18.2.1 must be honored by students. 50% date to be eligible to participate in postseason competition.

"The WIAA Handbook provides a framework for WIAA schools, leagues and districts to operate in. Events throughout the year The WIAA office does not manage the day-to-day league and WIAA District tournaments and is instead tasked with running the WIAA State Tournament. For example, the WIAA office sets marking policies for WIAA state events, but not league or WIAA District competitions. Again, the WIAA is a membership-based association."

After the US Supreme Court upheld other states' laws restricting the participation of transgender athletes in girls' and women's sports in landmark rulings in June, the Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) said the decisions did not change Washington law. Superintendent Chris Rickdahl will continue to enforce state laws that allow students to compete according to their gender identity, the agency said.

"Today's decision strengthens Washington State's ability to adopt and enforce its own laws in line with our values," Rickdal said in a June 30 statement.

This distinction is important for families seeking a different policy: the provision that allows states to limit participation does not itself impose such a limit in Washington.

Initiative 638 requires school districts and covered athletic associations to prohibit biologically male students from competing with or against female students in certain events intended for female students only. Applies to individual and team events.

Students entering these contests must provide a signed statement from a health care provider verifying biological sex through reproductive anatomy, genetic makeup, or naturally produced testosterone levels.

Supporters, led by Let's Go Washington, say the measure preserves fair competition and opportunities for girls. They argue that transgender students retain opportunities to participate in sports in their gender-specific categories.

A Camas cross country runner who switched from the boys' to the girls' team stands at the starting line of the girls' race at the Nike Hole in the Wall XC Invitational. (Out Kick)

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Opponents say the measure leaves out transgender girls and creates new medical and privacy burdens for girls who choose to play sports in school.

Supporters dispute Ferguson's description of the verification requirements. Let's Go Washington says the measure doesn't mandate genital exams, and verification can be done through the existing sports-physical process.

The political decision to leave the initiative to the voters was clear months before the Camas protest.

In January, Senate Majority Leader Jimmy Pedersen and House Speaker Lori Jenkins said they did not plan to hold hearings on the sports initiative and a separate parental rights measure, according to the Washington State Standard.

"I'm sure we're not going to pass any of these initiatives," Pedersen said, according to Washington. "They're going to have a decision with voters."

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