SOUTH WHIDBEY: School board opposes proposed sports gender amendment

Luisa Loi reports from the South Whidbey School District’s board meeting of Wed., Feb. 26, 2025 for the South Whidbey Record. Read the whole story.

Wednesday, the South Whidbey School Board unanimously voted to oppose two amendments that would exclude transgender athletes from participating in interscholastic girls sports.

Recently, the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, also known as “WIAA,” sent to school districts some proposed amendments to its handbook, which currently allows students to participate in sports and other interscholastic activities based on the gender they identify with.

If the amendments are approved in April, athletes who were not born biologically female won’t be allowed to compete with girls who were, while anyone — regardless of their anatomy and identity — would be allowed to participate in a new category, the “boys/open” category.

The proposed amendments were received with concern by the student representatives, the board members and most of the audience attending, with a lone voice that was in favor of the changes.

They Said It

While the WIAA has yet to make a decision, superintendents and athletic directors can submit a partial vote to indicate where their district stands, according to Superintendent Jo Moccia, who, for the sake of transparency, asked the board to choose how she and the athletic director should vote. She also reiterated the district’s commitment to gender inclusivity, which according to the board policy extends to athletics.

Board Member Andrea Downs, a woman who was born biologically female, said the amendments fail to recognize that humans come in all shapes, sizes and abilities, and that a “biological female” is not necessarily weaker than a “biological male,” using herself as an example.

Reaching the height of 6’1” at the age of 14, Downs played as a lineman on the boys football team and was better at squatting and bench pressing than her male peers until her sophomore year, she recalled.

Board Member Joe Greenheron said he worries athletes would need to go through anatomy inspections to prove they were born biologically female, while Board President Brook Willeford said an athlete’s talent could be discredited if she is too good. He recalled the case of Imane Khelif, the Algerian boxer who was falsely accused of being a man or a trans woman after defeating her opponent in 46 seconds.

While disapproving of the proposal for “stripping” the athletes of their dignity by “invalidating their identities and experiences,” Board Member Marnie Jackson also questioned its legality.

Moccia quoted the Washington Law Against Discrimination, which prohibits the discrimination of people based on their gender and sex, among other things. Because she said the amendments violate state law, she doesn’t see them being implemented.

Board Member Ann Johnson said trans and nonbinary people have always existed, and the district should protect them regardless of what the law says.

Downs asked if the district could still stand with its students in case the WIAA approves the amendment despite the district’s no vote, providing students with “an athletic experience that does not violate their dignity.” She would also be interested in exploring the possibility of hosting athletics outside of the WIAA, if other districts are willing to join.

While it might be soon to invest district resources, Jackson suggested seeking legal counsel to challenge the legality of the amendments if they do get approved and submitting the vote with a letter detailing the harm the changes would cause, to which the board agreed.