Camas School District Superintendent John Anzalone says the roughly dozen Camas High School girls cross country runners who walked off the starting line Tuesday during a meet against Battle Ground will not face any consequences for their protest.
The runners stepped away from the line in objection to a transgender teammate 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 sophomore has won a varsity meet and placed second in two others.
Anzalone said the district stood behind the girls’ decision to protest, calling it peaceful and something the students were entitled to do.
“The girls are entitled to handle this however is best for them, and I was at the meet and it was peacefully done. And of course, we’ll support whatever they want to do,” Anzalone said. “I felt that this wasn’t just about supporting and protecting (the male runner). This was really about supporting and providing that space for the girls who did walk off to do so and not feel any repercussions. And of course, some of them looked very sad. I think some of them were very conflicted. But they’re also teenagers. They’re still children.”
Anzalone, who said he was speaking partly as a parent, acknowledged the toll the situation has taken on students.
“It’s always hard to see when students are upset, let alone our families. And I know this issue has polarized our country for a long time, and this has probably added to that, right,” Anzalone said. “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. So that’s been challenging, and that’s always gonna be hard.”
The protest followed a similar demonstration by parents at a meet in Arlington, Washington, last Saturday. Tensions around the issue have run high; one parent said he did not want to speak publicly because he feared his house could be burned down, and one girl who protested last month said friends had stopped speaking to her since.
The transgender runner’s move did not violate any rules. Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) policy permits students to compete on teams consistent with their gender identity, and Anzalone said Camas has no authority to deviate from that policy.
“As long as WIAA policy allows (the biological male) to run, and she’s eligible to run, she’ll continue running. Nothing’s changed,” Anzalone 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 next meet on the Camas schedule is the Greater St. Helen’s League district meet on Oct. 21. Because the district meet limits each team to seven varsity runners, the transgender athlete’s continued participation will likely bump one of her female teammates from the varsity roster. A parent of one of the protesting runners said she was unsure how the girls would respond at that meet. Anzalone said the district would not intervene to change that outcome.
“I’m at a point where I have to stand by policy and by law,” Anzalone said. “And like I said earlier, if those change or go in a different direction, we’ll follow that.”
The Camas School District released a statement Wednesday addressing the controversy:
“Camas School District recognizes that students and community members hold differing views about athletic eligibility and have the right to express those views peacefully. Our responsibility is to ensure that school-sponsored events remain safe and respectful for all participants, staff, and spectators. As a Washington public school district and member of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA), Camas follows applicable state law and WIAA eligibility rules. RCW 28A.642 prohibits discrimination in public schools based on gender identity and gender expression, and current WIAA rules permit students to participate in athletics consistent with their gender identity. The district does not set these eligibility standards independently. We will continue to prioritize student safety, privacy, and well-being. We do not discuss individual students’ eligibility, personal circumstances, or potential disciplinary matters.”
The issue could change statewide eligibility rules going forward. Washington voters will decide on Initiative 638 on the Nov. 3 ballot, which would require K-12 students to compete on sports teams corresponding to their biological sex. A spokesperson for Let’s Go Washington, the group backing the measure, said it would take effect 30 days after the election, though certification delays could push that timeline back. The current cross country season will be over before any such change could take effect.
