Tumwater board says resolution on WIAA amendments did not ban transgender athletes; members report protests and threats

Tumwater School District board members said a recent resolution directing the district to provide guidance on two proposed Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) amendments did not ban or change any district policy, and described disruptive protests and threats that followed the February board meeting.

The board’s remarks, delivered at a public work session, were offered to correct what board members called media and public misinformation about the measure and to explain safety concerns after the prior meeting. One board member also described the issue as “impossible” and recounted personal experience as a competitive swimmer to explain why she raised concerns about competitive fairness for female athletes.

Board member (speaker 2), a member of the Tumwater School District Board of Directors, said the board is not “erasing trans people” and that the resolution was intended only to direct guidance on two WIAA amendments. “This issue is impossible,” the board member said. The same speaker recounted competing as a swimmer and said the differences in men’s and women’s qualifying times shaped her perspective on fairness in competition.

Another board member (speaker 3) said the district “did not ban anybody. We did not change any policy. We didn’t do any of that.” That board member said the district has no direct vote in the WIAA amendment process because the district does not have a representative in the WIAA general assembly and that the resolution sought clarity, not exclusion.

Speaker 3 described confrontations after the earlier meeting, saying protesters “did not come to debate or discuss” but to “shout out, obstruct, and intimidate.” The board member said one board member was spit on, another received a direct threat, and some board members were followed to their vehicles; police were called and a police report was filed. The board member said the presenter of the resolution was the only “no” vote at the prior meeting and criticized the initial presentation as biased, which the speaker said contributed to public confusion.

The district is also the subject of separate inquiries, according to the board member: an investigation by the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights concerning Title IX compliance related to a student athlete, and an inquiry by the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. The board member said those investigations appear to be reaching opposing questions about whether the district is doing too little or too much on competitive fairness and nondiscrimination, and reiterated the district’s view that the resolution did not change policy.

The board emphasized that athletic schedules would continue: “If an individual doesn’t wanna play, that’s up to them,” the board member said, adding that the district has not issued forfeits or changed team participation rules.

What the board recorded at the previous meeting is a resolution directing guidance on two WIAA amendments (resolution 092425). The meeting transcript did not include motion text, mover/second names, or a roll-call vote count for that resolution; the presenter was recorded as the only “no” vote. The board members reiterated that the resolution did not itself alter district rules.

The debate highlights the intersection of local board policy, state athletic-governing processes and federal civil-rights enforcement. Board members said they are committed to following established protocols and to protecting staff and members from intimidation so the board can continue routine business without threats to safety.