Camas High School Cross-Country Team Protests Inclusion of Transgender Athlete
Almost half of the girls on the cross-country team at Camas High School in Washington staged a walkout during a recent meet in response to having a biological male runner on their roster.
Footage showing around 13 athletes linking arms and leaving the starting line quickly gained attention online, sparking renewed discussions about the participation of transgender individuals in female sports.
The situation highlighted teammate Logan Mihailoff, who started the season competing in the boys’ junior varsity division. He finished 76th at the Ultimook Invitational held on September 5th before transitioning to compete with the girls’ team midseason.
Mihailoff switched divisions between September 5th and September 26th and, under the rules set by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, he placed second among 195 female runners at the Nike Portland XC Invitational on September 26th. He also won a dual meet against Union High School on September 29th and secured another second-place finish in a follow-up meet on October 8th.
Critics of this policy argue that allowing biological males to compete in women’s sports displaces female athletes who have worked hard to secure their positions on the team. Meanwhile, school officials maintain they are simply adhering to established state interscholastic regulations.
In a recent tweet, user Jennifer Sey commented on the protest, stating, “Nearly half the Camas High School girls cross country team refused to compete against a boy on their own team.” She noted the boy’s recent switch from the boys’ team and his recent successes.
Another individual, Amy E. Sousa, remarked on how courageous the girls were for their actions, especially since they were on the same team as the boy who switched divisions.
Parents of one of the protesting athletes, Kevin and Sarah Burns, mentioned their daughter was initially unsure about joining the walkout but ultimately felt encouraged by her teammates’ collective decision.
Kevin Burns shared, “She wanted to kind of play it safe, so we weren’t going to push it. We just let her feel it out. We supported her whichever decision she tried to make.” He added that as he heard more about his daughter’s friends standing up, they felt supportive of their collective action.
The school has defended its eligibility rules, stating that students are allowed to participate in line with their gender identity. They emphasized adherence to current WIAA policies unless changes occur.
According to a school statement, “Under current WIAA eligibility standards, students are permitted to participate in athletics consistent with their gender identity.” They further noted their responsibility to protect student privacy, hence details on individual student’s conditions and eligibility would not be disclosed.
Washington voters will soon decide on a change to this policy through Initiative 638. This initiative, if approved, would bar biological males from competing in girls’ interschool sports and would require athletes to provide medical proof of their biological sex.
Should the initiative pass, it would take effect 30 days post-election, which means it would not apply in time for the upcoming state cross-country championships scheduled for November 7th.
