Washington High School Girls Refuse to Race Against Male Cross-Country Runner

About a dozen girls on a Washington state high school cross-country team forfeited a race Tuesday rather than compete against a male runner who switched from the boys team to the girls team mid-season.

Footage of the meet between Camas High School and Battle Ground High School in southwestern Washington shows the starting signal sounding and some runners beginning the race while the protesting girls walk forward before leaving the course.

“I don’t see how it’s OK to discriminate against my daughter and the daughters of everyone else that is trying to fairly compete,” Kevin Burns, whose daughter Holly led the protest, told OutKick.

Last month, a Camas sophomore male switched to the girls team midseason. After finishing 76th in a boys race, he has since won a varsity girls meet and placed second in two others, Outkick reported. The story has gained national attention, with teammates and opponents staging protests.

Camas School District Superintendent John Anzalone said the girls will not be penalized for refusing to compete.

“The girls are entitled to handle this however is best for them, and I was at the meet and it was peacefully done,” he told Outkick. “This was really about supporting and providing that space for the girls who did walk off to do so and not feel any repercussions.”

Camas School District cited Washington state law, which prohibits discrimination based on gender identity and gender expression, and the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association rules, which permit males to compete in women’s sports based on claimed gender identity without requiring medical or legal documentation.

The forfeit comes three weeks before Washington voters will consider Initiative 638 on Nov. 3, a ballot measure that would prohibit male students from competing in female-only athletic competitions.

Holly Burns’ mother, Sarah, said she was aware of the issue of males competing in women’s sports but didn’t expect it to become personal. “You hear about it, but you just never think it’s going to be on your kid’s small cross-country team,” she said.

The Burnses support Initiative 638, Outkick reported.

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