Central Valley School Board drafts Title IX complaint against the state over transgender sports

Taking a cue from Mead, the Central Valley School Board drafted Title IX complaint letters to federal officials against the state chief of public schools, alleging sex-based discrimination in state policies that allow transgender girls to play on girls school sports teams.

Addressed to officials from the federal Office of Civil Rights, Department of Justice and Department of Education, the complaint said the state’s policy on transgender sports participation and locker room use doesn’t comply with federal directives on the matter. The board requested intervention and clarity from the federal government, much like the Mead School Board’s letter, but also implores federal investigation on the state.

Both the Washington authority on school sports and state anti-discrimination laws allow trans students to play on whichever team aligns with their gender identity, regardless of sex assigned at birth.

“In recent years, many educational institutions and athletic associations have allowed men to compete in women’s sports. This is demeaning, unfair, and dangerous to women and girls, and denies women and girls the equal opportunity to participate and excel in competitive sports,” the draft letter reads.

A slew of executive orders from President Donald Trump direct schools to bar trans girls from girls teams. The Trump administration continues to hold federal funding as leverage for compliance, and it makes up around 5% of Central Valley’s operating budget. Chris Reykdal, state superintendent of public instruction, has repeatedly contended these orders don’t hold the weight of law and to follow them would violate state law and risk schools’ state funding, around 78% of Central Valley’s revenue.

This contradiction, one of Central Valley’s drafted letters reads, presents a legal conflict in which they would risk funding sources if they complied with either.

“This complaint starts the process of getting more information from the federal government,” Board member Anniece Barker said at the meeting. “It gives an eye to Central Valley. It gives an eye to Washington state.”

This isn’t the board’s first foray into the controversial topic of transgender sports participation. They’ve previously supported statewide sports policy that would have barred trans girls from girls’ sports in a sequence of busy board meetings.

Monday night’s board meeting was more well-attended than the typical meeting, but slightly less crowded than previous ones when the hot topic was on the agenda.

Ten people – parents and students from Central Valley schools – spoke at the meeting. A few parents who have become frequent faces in meetings addressing this topic spoke in favor of sending the letter. Those in support of the complaint cited safety and fairness for their daughters, some of whom compete against a trans girl in track events.

“I’m disgusted that my daughter must attend schools in the CV School District in this climate where boys are allowed to play in her sports and allowed to share her locker rooms,” said Brandon Arthur, district resident and parent.

Some parents spoke opposed to the letters, citing inclusion of trans students.

A handful of Central Valley students spoke at the meeting, all opposed to sending the letter. They’d arranged to speak at the meeting through their Gender Sexuality Alliance club, each motivated to speak in defense of their transgender friends who they said feel targeted by rhetoric and recent actions from the school board.

“Trans kids are someone else’s kids too,” said Tyler Goodwin, a sophomore at Ridgeline High School. “Discriminating against them will not make them disappear. Just because you don’t understand something or because you’re not familiar with something, doesn’t mean it’s alien.”

The board made no action on the drafted letters, but will return to the topic at a special board meeting before their next scheduled meeting May 12.