WIAA to consider competition rule changes in 2025
Last week, public-school activists once again called on the Methow Valley School Board to restrict transgender girls from participating in girls’ sports in middle school and high school.
Members of the group RenewED: Advocates for Student Excellence had asked the board to protect “biological girls” from transgender girls in sports settings at previous school board meetings, in July and November. At the Thursday (Dec. 19) board meeting, the group was motivated to speak again, after the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) announced plans to consider a new rule that would limit participation in girls’ sports “to students who were assigned female at birth.”
A second proposed amendment to the WIAA handbook would create a third division of competition for transgender and nonbinary athletes. The proposed rules will be finalized at a meeting of the WIAA Representative Assembly on Jan. 27, with the assembly voting on the two amendments in April.
If approved, the amendments would take effect Aug. 1, 2025. The amendment barring transgender girls from participating in girls sports was submitted by 14 school districts, including several in Okanogan County: Brewster, Okanogan, Omak, Oroville, Tonasket, Grand Coulee Dam, Cashmere, Lake Chelan, Mansfield, Colville, Mead, Blaine, Lynden and Lynden Christian.
Competition and safety
At Thursday’s school board meeting, Scott Larson spoke against the state and the Methow Valley School District’s existing policy, which allows students to participate in middle school and high school sports according to their stated gender identity.
“Not only is this policy unfair to girls competitively, it presents a real threat to the safety of girls when they are forced to compete with physically dominant biological males,” said Larson, who ran unsuccessfully for a school board seat in 2023. “Additionally, the social and personal trauma inflicted on girls when forced to share locker rooms and showers with biological males is equally egregious.”
In his comment to the school board, Terry Balthazar, a retired wrestling coach, expanded on the argument that transgender girls provide unfair competition to students who were assigned female at birth.
“The transgender thing, it just doesn’t work. I mean, boys are made different,” Balthazar said. “They have bigger bones. Their lung capacity is a lot larger. You don’t see girls in NFL football, and there’s a reason for that.”
“I know there’s laws, but districts can do their own thing,” Balthazar added, “and I hope you guys come up with that.”
Similarly, Michael Liu urged the board to push back on state law. In November, Liu thrust himself into the forefront of the debate when he announced his interest in a school board seat that becomes vacant on Jan. 1.
“While it’s easy to hide behind state and federal nondiscrimination laws, the fact is half of the states now have policies in place requiring students to participate in sports consistent with their biological sex rather than gender identity,” Liu said.
In an interview on Friday (Dec. 20), Superintendent Tom Venable cautioned against flouting Washington state law.
“Whether you want to accuse school board members of hiding behind laws, or praise them for upholding laws, it’s all a matter of perspective,” Venable said. “At the end of the day — and this would be important for anyone who is considering applying to serve as an interim board member — as a board member, you are personally liable.”
Venable elaborated.
“When a board member chooses, or a school board chooses to act outside of the parameters of the law, they create a liability for themselves, the school district and, as a result, the community that they serve,” he said.
Regarding the board vacancy, Venable said the school district had received two completed applications as of last week. Board member Gary Marchbank submitted his resignation in October, effective Dec. 31. Several other school district residents also have expressed interest in the seat, Venable added. The district is accepting applications through Jan. 8, 2025.
WIAA response
The amendments to change the landscape of transgender participation in school sports will require 60% approval by the Representative Assembly — 32 out of 53 members — during a vote scheduled for April 9–18, WIAA Director of Communications Sean Bessette said.
“The WIAA’s policies on gender identity participation must follow Washington state law, and the current rules do so,” Bessette told Methow Valley News. “If a passed amendment violates Washington state law, the WIAA will be unable to implement the amendment.”
As for RenewED, its members see their cause as a civil rights issue — or at least speak with the same passion as the leaders of those historic movements.
“Ever since I was a small boy, I always wanted to be the knight in shining armor,” Larson told the board. “The knight in shining armor is somebody who’s a champion for truth and justice, and protection of the fairer sex.”
“That’s why I’m so passionate about this thing with women — with girls, girls sports — and I’m speaking from the heart here, and I will always be passionate about this,” Larson added.
Julia Babkina of RenewED became emotional as she read at last week’s meeting a statement from the Central Valley School Board, which had adopted a resolution in November opposing transgender athletes’ participation in girls sports.
A transgender girl from the neighboring East Valley School District in Spokane Valley won the girls 400-meter race at the state 2A track and field meet in May.
“As an all-women school board, the Central Valley School District Board of Directors recognizes the shoulders on which we stand and 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,” Babkina read, pausing to collect herself.
Concluding her comments, Babkina asked the Methow Valley School Board “to stand on the right side of history on this issue because your response, or lack of response, will be remembered.”
Applicants sought for MV School District board seat
The Methow Valley School District is accepting applications through Jan. 8, 2025, from those interested in filling the at-large school board position that will be vacated by Gary Marchbank at the end of the year.
Applicants must be registered voters who live within the school district boundaries. School district employees are not eligible to apply.
A notice posted on methow.org says applicants “have a responsibility to become educated and informed about the many local, state and federal issues that affect the public education system.”
The notice also says the five-member board works as a team on policies “that comply with state and federal laws, and align with the vision, beliefs and values of the Methow Valley School District.”
Those interested in the open school board position should complete the application and questionnaire available at methow.org. Applicants are also asked to submit a current resume and a brief letter of interest.
Applications must be delivered by 4 p.m. Jan. 8 to the district office, 18 Twin Lakes Road, Winthrop, or via email to HR@methow.org.
Current board members will interview up to five candidates at their Jan. 30 meeting, discuss the finalists in a closed-door executive session and make their appointment in a public vote during the same meeting.
The school board position is up for election in 2025.
For more information on the game management council, contact Anis Aoude at (360) 902-2509 or Caitlin Martin at (360) 902-8135.
