School Districts in Eastern Washington are again starting to see boys and girls differently, especially when it comes to sports.
The Kennewick School Board got the ball rolling back in July, following boys participation and victories in girls track events.
Only a month or two before, a Methow Valley boy won a girls event in Cashmere, claiming he is “transgender.” Then an East Valley boy also competing under the transgender caveat, beat a West Valley girl to win the girls state 2A title in the 400-meter. Both students are from schools in Spokane Valley.
The growing allowance of boys in girls sports didn’t sit well with Kennewick School Board members, who took aim at the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association policy allowing athletes to “participate in programs consistent with their gender identity.”
In a strongly worded resolution, the district blasted WIAA — essentially a club schools join to compete in scholastic-based sporting events and leagues — for allowing boys claiming transgenderism to compete in girls sports.
The school board pointed out that federal Title IX law was developed to give girls and women an opportunity to compete in sex-specific events, sans boys and men.
Fast forward to Aug. 19.
The Eastmont School Board in East Wenatchee voted to tell WIAA that allowing boys in girls sports isn’t working. The Eastmont resolution wasn’t worded as strongly as Kennewick’s, but it got the point across — that boys are boys and girls are girls when it comes to sports.
Moses Lake School District adopted Eastmont’s resolution last Thursday, repeating the call for WIAA to end its transgender policy because it doesn’t work.
“Title IX was created to promote fairness, safety and the protection and enhancement of female athletic opportunities,” according to the resolution.
In its unanimous support for ending the “gender identity” caveat and returning to the original intent of Title IX laws protecting girls’ and women’s sports, the school board called on others to follow suit, post haste.
The three school districts hope to upend the transgender rules allowing boys in girls sports as soon as possible. And they need other boards to join them so the issue can be revisited and hopefully reversed during the WIAA’s next rule-making window.
To be clear, WIAA is only a club, it has no legislative authority or jurisdiction over school districts. But, it does establish rules school districts have to follow if they want to be in the “club.” And with many schools emphasizing sports, WIAA exerts a lot of in-direct political pressure on schools and athletes.
To be fair, WIAA rules align with the Biden-Harris Administrations edicts on “gender identity” that went into effect Aug. 1.
But the issue is far from decided.
“Gender identity” inclusion into federal Title IX rules are currently on hold after a federal court issued an injunction while a lawsuit filed by advocates of women’s and girls’ sports plays out. Indeed, the federal government is facing multiple lawsuits for the Biden-Harris Administration’s unilateral edict.
Moreover, the federal Department of Education has yet to adopt gender identity inclusion rules.
While the federal lawsuits play out, Kennewick, Eastmont and Moses Lake school boards need others to join them in their effort to protect girls sports. And not just the sport, but girls themselves.
All students should be to compete in scholastic sports, as long as the gender playing field is level.
— Roger Harnack is the owner/publisher of Free Press Publishing. Email him at [email protected].
Roger Harnack is the owner/publisher of Free Press Publishing. Having grown up Benton City, Roger is an award-winning journalist, columnist, photographer, editor and publisher. He's one of only two editorial/commentary writers from Washington state to ever receive the international Golden Quill. Roger is dedicated to the preservation of local media, and the voice it retains for Eastern Washington.
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