Washington Officials Call Girl's Claimed Emergency "Manufactured" After Rape Allegation Against Transgender Athlete
The State of Washington's request for a Supreme Court ruling on transgender wrestler Callie Kiehler's case is "manufactured," as three defendants call for dismissal.
ADF attorney talks SCOTUS petition for female wrestler allegedly assaulted by trans athlete.
A Washington high school wrestler's Supreme Court fight could help end restrictions on transgender athletes in girls' sports in 23 states.
Washington education officials have called a teenage wrestler's alleged need for emergency help from the Supreme Court "fabricated" and asked justices to reject his request to avoid competing with transgender opponents after he claimed he was sexually assaulted by one during a match.
Attorneys for the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and Superintendent Chris Rickdahl argued that the family had not established a likelihood of future harm requiring immediate intervention.
"The ``irreparable'' nature of petitioners' alleged injury is established," the state's filing states. "Applicants have sought emergency relief three times, despite the fact that there was no real emergency."
Washington family pleads after girl was sexually assaulted by trans athlete
This charge was related to the claim of irreparable damage to this family and the need for immediate court intervention.
The state's response was one of three objections filed Tuesday in a lawsuit filed by Kali Keeler, who is suing as K.M.K., and her mother, Stephanie Lynn Brown. The Puyallup School District and the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association also asked the Supreme Court to deny the facility.
Keeler claims that she was sexually assaulted by transgender Al-Fahrif during a girls' wrestling match in December 2025. Her family is seeking an injunction that would allow her to return to wrestling without competing with a male athlete, or protections that would allow advance notice and an opportunity to withdraw without penalty.
A district judge denied the preliminary injunction on August 23, and the Ninth Circuit denied emergency relief on September 25.
A female wrestler who was sexually assaulted by a transgender athlete files a lawsuit for Title IX
Washington State girls wrestler Kali Keeler (Liberty Defenders Alliance)
Attorneys for the state cited about six months between the contest and the lawsuit, followed by another month before the family sought a preliminary injunction. They also argued that the family's stated urgency shifted from the start of the football season to the school year and then the wrestling season, which begins in mid-November.
ADF Senior Counsel Hal Frampton previously told OutKick that High Court intervention was necessary to keep Keeler safe before the end of his remaining high school years.
"Our only recourse before the wrestling season is the Supreme Court," Frampton said.
The state also cited an upcoming ballot measure as a reason for the judges to refrain from interfering. Washington voters will consider IL26-638 on Nov. 3. The measure prohibits students who are biologically male from participating in designated athletic events at girls' schools and requires health care providers to verify participants' biological sex.
Separately, the state challenged the parents' rights theory of the family, arguing that it allowed parents to dictate the rules for school sports.
"But the Constitution does not give parents the right to customize sports rules," the law's lawyers wrote.
The Puyallup School District defended its response to Keeler, disputing the premise that it failed to provide accommodations.
Frampton had previously accused the authorities of making "no attempt at reconciliation". The district's filing cited a separate testing room, offers of counseling, an independent investigation and quick approval of Keeler's transfer to Puyallup High School.
"It provided all the assistance it could," the district's attorneys wrote.
The district said a Title IX investigation into the alleged assault remains ongoing and unresolved. Pierce County prosecutors previously declined to charge Keeler's opponent, citing their inability to prove third-degree sexual assault beyond a reasonable doubt or overcome the defense of consent under the jurisdictional sports law.
The district also asserted that Keeler could refuse to compete without additional district-imposed consequences. This warranty does not cover losses or losses recorded under the National Federation of State High School Associations shipping rules.
Central Distinction Disputed: The Keeler Family seeks to avoid competitive penalties as well as district-imposed consequences. The district argues that it cannot change national wrestling rules, control any tournament bracket or issue a notice identifying another student's transgender status.
The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) filed a separate threshold defense, arguing that Title IX does not apply to it because it is a private nonprofit association that does not receive federal funding.
The association cited the Supreme Court's 1999 NCAA v. Smith decision, which held that federally funded membership fees do not make the NCAA a recipient of federal funding. Keeler's attorneys have filed a separate theory that the WIAA exercises regulatory authority over federally funded school athletic programs. The WIAA disputed this theory, arguing that it needed more real development.
The association also said Keeler did not apply for a hardship waiver on college eligibility after his transfer. This waiver process is related to transfer eligibility. This does not in itself provide a guarantee against the transgender identities sought in the contingency plan.
The WIAA argued in favor of the suspensions that its rules, which allow additional penalties for certain catches, apply to postseason contests and that any penalties are discretionary. It said no fine had been considered for Keeler and that the board had not been asked to consider his condition.
The association stated that the requested order requires information and operational control, which it lacks.
Its lawyers wrote: An order that the accused cannot obey is not a remedy, it is a trap of humiliation.
Washington State girls wrestler Kali Keeler (Liberty Defenders Alliance)
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Although it sought to deny relief against all defendants, the WIAA asked to be expressly excluded from any injunction the court might issue, or at least shielded from an order requiring changes to the Gender Identity Partnership Act.
All three responses emphasized that the recent West Virginia Supreme Court v. B.P.J. The ruling allows for gender-based restrictions, but leaves unresolved whether Title IX prohibits schools from allowing transgender girls on girls' teams.
The family's petition also asks the Supreme Court to review the case before the Ninth Circuit concludes its review. The defendants asked the judges to allow the proceedings to continue in the lower courts.
Frampton has described a broader purpose for securing the ruling that Title IX requires a nationwide set of protected women. For Keeler, he stressed the limited time left to compete.
"High school stuff is fleeting. He's a junior right now. Blink and it's over. And we just don't want him to miss the opportunity to compete in high school athletics," Frampton said.