SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash – The Central Valley School District board of directors called a special meeting for Monday night, specifically to address the issue of transgender athletes competing in sports.
At a meeting last week, the board decided to hold off on sending a letter to the WIAA, urging the governing board of high school sports to reconsider current policies.
Right now, the WIAA allows students to participate in sports based on the gender with which they identify. The WIAA says it’s following state and federal law providing equal opportunity and not discriminating based on gender and gender identity.
That policy has led several school districts – including the Mead School District – to send letters asking WIAA and state legislators.
At the meeting last week, concerned people came to comment to the board. Some said that letting biological boys compete against girls was unfair and unsafe; at least one parent urged the board to treat all students with “sensitivity, kindness and compassion.”
At Monday night’s meeting, the issue is the only thing on the agenda.
The board also drafted a new letter, leading with the fact that the board is made up of all women and citing the “long history of civil rights battles which women have fought in order to enjoy equal opportunities in our society, including the ability to participate in competitive sports.”
“Students born male, including transgender girls or nonbinary boys, have a biological advantage over students born female,” the draft letter states. “Therefore, unless a sport category is deemed co-ed, those born male should continue to be welcome to enjoy fair play within male sport categories.”
In the resolution up for a vote Monday night, the board encourages the WIAA to have an open dialogue with member schools to restore equity. It also asks the Washington legislature and US Congress to amend current laws to allow everyone to participate in sports “while ensuring that biological female athletes are not denied their rights under Title IX to fair competition and opportunity.”
On its agenda, the school board shared written comments submitted on the topic.
One letter is from a recent graduate of University High School who was also the ASB president. He urged the board to seek out the voices of LGBTQ+ students who may not feel safe speaking in front of the school board.
“I can tell you that there would have been more trans students represented at this meeting if it felt like a safe space for them but there was a clear attack on trans individuals,” he wrote.
Other letters were mixed in support of the resolution, including one health educator in the district who said “let’s not continue the woke thinking in our school district. You are selling a lie to our kids (who believe they can change their gender and therefore deserve special treatment).”
Another person wrote in with the subject line “Please stop vilifying trans kids” and said, “When you start harassing marginalized students you lose our support.”
Another parent of former CVSD students said she wasn’t aware of any transgender athletes in the CVSD saying, “This is a non-issue culture war topic, orchestrated not to bring out the best in our community, but the worst.”
A CVHS grad who currently works as a physical therapist wrote “regardless of actual intention, the focus the CV school board has put on trans folks in athletics sends a message that trans folks are not welcome. This is a message with serious consequences,” she wrote, citing suicide rates in transgender youth.
Monday’s meeting starts at 6 p.m. and will be streamed on Zoom. You can find that link at the agenda here.
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