WIAA Considering Amendment To Address Trans Athlete Debate

The debate over transgender athletes competing in sports has been a hot topic around the country.  It really came to the forefront three years ago this month at the collegiate level.

It was at the Zippy Invitational in Ohio where The University of Pennsylvania had a biological man who identified as a woman, named Lia Thomas, win three events during the women's meet.  Thomas swam for the U of P men's team for three years before joining the women's team.

The NCAA's affirmation of Thomas' ability to compete in the women's division (and later at the 2022 NCAA Championships) led to a Title IX lawsuit filed by over fifteen female student athletes against the organization.  The debate only grew surrounding the collegiate, international, and high school ranks.

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Washington State had it's own controversy surrounding transgender participation in sports.  Earlier this year a biological male athlete from East Valley High School in Spokane Valley, won the 400 meter in the girl's division at the State Track and Field meet.  It became a bigger story when the stadium went silent during the medal presentation.

The WIAA 's currently has a policy allowing an athlete to participate in the gender sport with which they identify.  In November another Spokane area school district (Central Valley) sent the WIAA a letter asking them to reconsider the existing policy.  Other districts considered making their own policies to address the issue.

Yesterday, the governing body of high school athletics released a list of proposed amendments for the 2025 handbook.  Two of the proposed amendments deal with transgender participation in sports.  Amendment ML/HS #7 18.16.0 reads:

Participation in girls’ sports would be limited to students assigned female at birth

Amendment ML/HS #8 18.16.0 would create a whole new division:

Athletic programs would be offered separately for boys, girls, and an open division for all students interested

The open division concept was proposed by the Eastmont School District in East Wenatchee back in September of this year and it gained the support needed for consideration.

In Order For An Amendment To Pass

First, the WIAA's Representative Assembly will meet January 27th to finalize the language for all sixteen proposed amendments.  The Representative Assembly will them meet from April 9-18 to vote.  The Assembly is made up of 53 administrators from the nine districts, 35 from the high school level and 18 from the middle school level.

60 percent approval is required to pass an amendment.  It can be passed at the high school level and not the middle school level.  32 votes are needed for an amendment to be accepted at both levels, 21 to be accepted at the high school level only, and 11 for the middle school level.