Kennewick board hears broad public support for districtTitle IX complaint as federal review proceeds

Several dozen community members told the Kennewick School District Board of Directors on Tuesday they support the districtTitle IX complaint and its stance that biological males should not compete in girls' sports, citing safety and fairness concerns.

The comments came during the board's public-comment period, where speakers including parents, a high-school student and district staff named specific safety and competitive fairness examples and urged the board to continue its complaint. Board members said the district's complaint has been forwarded for federal review: "Our complaint that we did at the last meeting, has found its way to the White House," the board said during the meeting, and the board reported the U.S. Department of Education is reviewing the request for an investigation and will notify the White House of next steps in coming days.

The public-comment speakers framed their remarks in terms of Title IX protections and competitive fairness. Marissa Dunphy, a 17-year-old Hanford High School student, told the board she supported the district's complaint and argued there are documented cases she said show biological males can retain advantages in female competition even after hormone treatment: "In prior studies, males are shown to outperform females by 10 to 30," Dunphy said, and she cited incidents she said raised safety concerns in female-only spaces.

Several parents and residents echoed those concerns. Annette Rose told the board: "I feel like you guys are doing some really amazing things... I'm grateful that you're trying to take on the state and do some hard things right now." Haley Hoyt said she appreciated the board being "a voice of, the traditional Christian, good old, let's be good Americans." Tina Gregory said: "Stand up for our girls. Protect them. Follow the law. If our state tries to hold funds from you, we will stand up with you. We, the taxpayers, want our children protected."

Board members and district leaders addressed the topic both during public comment and in board reports. Board Director Micah (first name used in the meeting) spoke at length about fairness and safety, saying: "Biological boys have no place in girls' locker rooms or competing in girls' sports, period. This isn't just a matter of fairness. It's about safety, privacy, and protecting the integrity of women's sports and spaces." Board Director Dr. Miller said the board had met with U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse to discuss the complaint and other issues; Superintendent Dr. Pierce also reported the Department of Education had the complaint and was reviewing it.

Not all public commenters agreed with the board's position. Lisa Abard told the board she did not view trans athletes as a pressing issue and urged the district to focus resources on other priorities such as funding. Jojo Davis, a district employee, used her time to highlight school-level priorities and to thank visiting representatives for classroom engagement, rather than to address the Title IX matter.

Why this matters: The board's complaint and the public response reinforce a contentious debate about how schools apply federal civil-rights law, how they interpret Title IX protections and how they balance competitive fairness, safety, and inclusion in school athletics and facilities. The district's next steps depend in part on the outcome of the Department of Education's review.

What was not decided: The board did not take formal new policy action on this agenda item at the meeting; after public comment the board moved on to routine business and a separate agenda item. The district reported only that a federal review was underway and did not announce any additional district-level policy changes at this meeting.

Provenance: Public comments advocating that biological males not compete in girls' sports began in the meeting's public-comment block (example excerpt: "I just wanted to say thank you... I'm grateful that you're trying to take on the state and do some hard things right now."), and the discussion ended with board remarks reiterating safety and fairness concerns (example excerpt: "Biological boys have no place in girls' locker rooms or competing in girls' sports, period.").