Dozen Female Runners Walk Out Over Male Athlete on Girls' Team

Washington state sports are simmering after a male cross-country runner moved from the boys' team to the girls' squad right in the middle of the season. That decision sparked enough friction that on Tuesday, roughly a dozen female runners at Camas High School walked off their course rather than race alongside him. The walkout was a direct protest against the new teammate joining women's competition.

The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association says state law blocks it from changing its participation rules to exclude males. In a statement sent to OutKick, the WIAA made it clear that even if members voted for a ban on male athletes in girls' sports, the association could not enforce such a policy without breaking state law. They called the idea "in violation of Washington state law."

"In the last two years, through the association's amendment process, three amendments have been proposed to alter the gender-identity participation policies," the statement read. "Those amendments did not meet the 60% threshold to pass. Nevertheless, even if the amendments had met the threshold and passed, the WIAA cannot implement a policy that is in violation of Washington state law." The group added that its current rules have been active since the 2007-08 school year and were written specifically to match existing statutes. They noted that if the laws change, the Executive Board will adjust policies to stay compliant.

Washington voters are set to decide this next month. Initiative 638 goes on the Nov. 3 ballot. It would bar biological males from certain female-only sports and require a doctor to verify sex before allowing participation. Democrats currently control both chambers of the state legislature and hold the governor's office. Gov. Bob Ferguson has spoken out against the measure.

"Washingtonians should know that I-638 won't create opportunities for girls, but it will force them into invasive sex verification exams in order to participate in sports," Ferguson said in a Sept. 29 statement from the opposition campaign No Hate in WA State. Lawmakers did not act on the issue during the 2026 session, so earlier this year Democratic leaders chose to send the question directly to voters.

The vote arrives as the state deals with other controversies involving males in girls' sports. Besides the Camas runner, there was an incident last December where a transgender wrestler allegedly sexually assaulted a female athlete during a match. The female competitor filed a lawsuit over the event. Prosecutors decided not to file criminal charges in that case.

The WIAA described itself as a membership-driven group where fans and schools write the rules found in their handbook. Rule 18.16.0 outlines gender-identity participation policies and says school staff will work with students on eligibility, though it does not set a specific timeline for switching teams. Rule 17.11 covers practice regulations and lists minimum training hours required to compete. The association insists it follows state law permitting athletes to play in sports matching the gender they identify.

WIAA Handbook 18.2.1 makes one thing clear: a student must be deemed eligible by their specific sport's 50 percent date to join a postseason contest. The WIAA Office does not micromanage daily league play or district events. Instead, it sets the stage for State Tournaments and handles things like signage policies for those big tournaments. This setup proves the organization runs on membership power, not top-down control over every local game.

The legal landscape shifted after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld laws in other states that restrict transgender athletes from girls' and women's sports in June. Washington's Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction stepped forward to say those rulings do not change state law. The agency confirmed that Superintendent Chris Reykdal would keep enforcing statutes allowing students to compete consistent with their gender identity.

"Today's decision reinforces Washington state's ability to adopt and implement our own laws in alignment with our values," Reykdal said in a statement on June 30. That distinction is vital for families looking for different policies, because the court ruling itself does not enact restrictions here. It merely allows states to choose them if they wish.

Initiative 638 aims to change that choice. It would force school districts and covered athletic associations to bar students defined as biologically male from competing against female students in female-only events. This applies to both individual sports and team competitions. Anyone entering those contests would have to hand over a signed statement from a personal healthcare provider verifying biological sex via reproductive anatomy, genetic makeup, or naturally produced testosterone levels.

Backers of the measure, led by Let's Go Washington, argue it preserves fair competition for girls while letting transgender students play in categories matching their sex at birth. Opponents claim the bill would exclude transgender girls and pile on new medical and privacy burdens. Supporters push back against that view regarding the verification requirement. They insist the process does not mandate genital examinations and could happen during existing sports-physicals.

The political decision to leave Initiative 638 for voters was made long before protests in Camas erupted. In January, Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen and House Speaker Laurie Jinkins told the Washington State Standard they had no plans to hold hearings on either this sports initiative or a separate parental-rights measure.

"I'm certain that we will not be passing either of those initiatives," Pedersen said per the Washington State Standard. "They'll be up to the voters to decide.