Washington High School Sports Body Says State Law Blocks Trans Athlete Policy Change
The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association says it cannot adopt a policy keeping males out of girls' sports even if members vote for it, because it would violate state law. The statement comes after Camas High School female runners walked off the course in protest of a male teammate. Voters will decide Initiative 638 on Nov. 3.
The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) says it cannot change its gender-identity participation policy to keep males out of girls' sports, even if its member schools vote for such a change, because doing so would violate Washington state law. The association's statement, provided to OutKick, comes amid a growing controversy over a male cross-country runner who switched from a boys' team to a girls' team mid-season.
The dispute reached a flashpoint Tuesday when about a dozen female runners from Camas High School walked off the course, refusing to compete alongside their new male teammate. The WIAA described itself as a membership-driven association whose members create its rules, but said state law sets the boundaries within which those rules must operate.
In its statement, the WIAA said three amendments to alter the gender-identity participation policies have been proposed over the past two years through the association's amendment process. None met the required 60 percent threshold to pass. The association added that even if an amendment had passed, it could not be implemented because the proposed changes would have violated state law. The WIAA said it would revise its policies if state law changes.
The association's gender-identity participation policy has been in place since the 2007-08 school year and was adopted to align with Washington law, according to the WIAA. The policy permits student-athletes to participate in sports consistent with the gender with which they identify. The WIAA said school personnel work collaboratively with students to determine eligibility, though no specific timeline for switching teams is designated in the handbook. Practice regulations and postseason eligibility rules are also outlined in the handbook.
The controversy now moves to the ballot. Washington voters will decide next month whether to change the rules. Initiative 638, which would prohibit biological male students from competing in certain female-only school sports and require a healthcare provider's verification of biological sex, will be on the state ballot on Nov. 3. The measure reached the ballot after lawmakers took no action on it during the 2026 session. Earlier this year, Democratic legislative leaders said they would leave the decision to voters.
Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson has expressed opposition to Initiative 638. In a statement published Sept. 29 by the opposition campaign, No Hate in WA State, Ferguson said the measure would not create opportunities for girls but would force them into invasive sex verification exams in order to participate in sports. Democrats currently hold majorities in both chambers of the state legislature and control the governor's office.
The vote comes as Washington grapples with multiple controversies involving males in girls' sports. In addition to the Camas cross-country runner, a separate incident involved a transgender wrestler who allegedly sexually assaulted a female athlete during a match last December, according to the female athlete's lawsuit. Prosecutors declined to file criminal charges in that case.
After the U.S. Supreme Court upheld other states' laws restricting transgender athletes' participation in girls' and women's sports in landmark rulings in June, Washington's Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction said the decisions did not change Washington law. The agency said Superintendent Chris Reykdal would continue enforcing state law allowing students to compete consistent with their gender identity. Reykdal said the decision reinforces Washington state's ability to adopt and implement its own laws in alignment with its values.
The distinction matters for families seeking a different policy: a ruling allowing states to restrict participation does not itself enact such a restriction in Washington. Initiative 638 would require school districts and covered athletic associations to prohibit students it defines as biologically male from competing with or against female students in certain competitions intended for female students only. It would apply to individual and team events. Students entering those competitions would have to provide a signed statement from a personal healthcare provider verifying biological sex through reproductive anatomy.
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