Latest news with #EducationAmendmentsActof1972
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
WIAA votes against trans athlete policy changes
Apr. 23—RENTON — The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association completed a vote on several different amendments, including two regarding transgender athletes. Both proposed amendments for trans athletes failed during the vote. "Despite the failure of ML/HS No. 7 and ML/HS No. 8, the Association's message remains clear: The WIAA remains committed to following Washington state law and will continue to do so moving forward," reads a statement from the WIAA. "If state law changes in the future, the WIAA Executive Board holds the authority to revise policies accordingly — and now has input from the membership on how to proceed in that event, while remaining in compliance with state law." The vote follows an executive order by President Donald J. Trump filed Feb. 5 titled "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports." The order states that transgender women can no longer compete in sports that align with their gender identity due to unfair advantages. The order does not address transgender men, born biologically female, from competing in men's sports. "Under Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 (Title IX), educational institutions receiving Federal funds cannot deny women an equal opportunity to participate in sports," Trump wrote in his order. Prior to and following the executive order, several districts across the state, including the Moses Lake School District, wrote letters to the WIAA, the Superintendent of Public Instruction's office and the Washington State Attorney General about the contradiction between state and federal policies. Moses Lake School District Board Chair Kirryn Jensen was contacted for comment in regard to the vote and did not answer by press time, indicating she needed time to review the WIAA's actions prior to responding. Chris Reykdal, Washington state superintendent of public instruction, issued a statement Feb. 6 saying Trump's order contradicts "the Washington Law Against Discrimination, and our laws prohibiting discrimination in our public schools." "One thing is clear: The 47th President of the United States is disregarding the rule of law by attempting to unilaterally impose an attack on the specific student groups that anti-discrimination laws aim to protect," Reykdal wrote in his statement. "... State law prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity, and we will not back down from that." Amendment No. 7 The proposed amendment by the WIAA concerning gender identity participation, as outlined in Amendment No. 7, sought to ensure inclusive athletic opportunities for all students while maintaining fairness in competition. Under this proposed amendment, participation would be categorized into two distinct groups: 'Boys/Open' and 'Girls.' The policy stipulates that "all student-athletes, regardless of sex, gender identity or gender expression, who meet eligibility criteria are allowed to participate in the 'Boys/Open Category.'" However, the amendment failed in a 31-22 vote. For an amendment to pass, 60% of voting members are needed; in this case, 32 votes were needed for the amendment to pass. To preserve competitive equity, the 'Girls Category' would have been restricted to those whose biological sex is female. This delineation aims to protect the integrity of female sports, aiming for a level playing field by addressing potential physical advantages that biological males may possess. However, the amendment also acknowledges potential legal and ethical implications, according to the WIAA. While aiming for inclusivity, the policy's restrictions could provoke legal challenges based on criticisms of discrimination against transgender athletes who may identify as female but are unable to compete in the 'Girls Category.' The rationale behind this policy, derived from a similar model from Alaska, aims to ensure fairness while recognizing the complexities involved in gender identity and its implications in competitive sports. The amendment was proposed by submitted by 14 districts across the state, including the Lynden, Blaine, Brewster, Cashmere, Colville, Grand Coulee Dam, Lake Chelan, Lynden Christian, Mansfield, Mead, Okanogan, Omak, Oroville and Tonasket. Amendment No. 8 The authors of Amendment No. 8 sought to ensure equitable participation for all students in athletic programs consistent with their gender identity. The amendment specifies that athletic programs would have been structured separately for boys, girls, and an open division, promoting fairness while simultaneously considering the complexities of gender identity and biological sex. However, the amendment failed with a 13-40 vote. For an amendment to pass, 60% of voting members would need to vote in favor of the measure; in this case, 32 votes were needed for the amendment to pass. The regulation would have allowed students to participate in a manner that aligns with their gender identity. School personnel would have needed to work collaboratively with student athletes to assess eligibility for participation in boys', girls' or the open division. If granted, the eligibility would have been kept consistent for the duration of the athlete's participation, without a need for yearly renewal. A critical aspect of this amendment would have been the establishment of an open division, designed to preserve equality of opportunity while delineating categories of competition. The amendment acknowledges the disparities in athletic performance that can arise from biological differences, recognizing the importance of maintaining competitive integrity. It notes that various sports organizations have adjusted their policies to address these concerns while also ensuring protection against discrimination. Additionally, the amendment anticipated potential shortcomings, including the possibility of extended competition durations and the logistical challenges associated with inviting athletes from outside the state for participation in the open division. However, proponents argued that the benefits of creating a safe, fair and inclusive environment outweighed such challenges. The amendment was submitted by seven school districts across the state, including Eastmont, Cashmere, Colville, Lynden, Mead, Moses Lake and Thorp. Both the Moses Lake and Warden school districts have recently adjusted policies to align with the President's executive order regarding athletics and trans athletes. Legal challenges may occur as OSPI and the districts move forward with the situation.
CBS News
20-02-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
AG Keith Ellison says transgender athlete ban violates Minnesota Human Rights Act
President Trump's executive order banning transgender athletes from competing in sports consistent with their gender identity violates the Minnesota Human Rights Act, the Minnesota Attorney General's Office opined on Thursday. The Minnesota State High School League requested a legal opinion from the attorney general's office after the U.S. Department of Education announced an investigation into the league for not complying with the executive order signed earlier this month. The order, titled "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports," mandates that Title IX, the federal law banning sex discrimination in schools, be interpreted as prohibiting the participation of transgender girls and women in female sports. Those not in compliance jeopardize any federal funding they receive, Mr. Trump said. In the days after the executive order was signed, MSHSL released a statement saying participation and eligibility of transgender student-athletes is determined by the Minnesota Human Rights Act and the Minnesota Constitution. The attorney general's office's legal opinion affirmed that statement, saying the transgender student-athlete ban "does not supersede protections from discrimination in the Minnesota Constitution or Minnesota laws, and that complying with the Executive Order would be a violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act." "While the Executive Order references Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, Title IX does not authorize the President to issue directives with the force of law. Therefore, the Executive Order does not supersede Minnesota law," the attorney general's office said. However, some people in the state stand by the executive order and want it to be enforced. Minnesota House Republicans wrote a letter to MSHSL's director, Erich Martens, urging the league to reconsider its stance. "This executive order intends to uphold fairness and maintain competitive integrity in school-based athletics, including those in Minnesota," Speaker of the House Rep. Lisa Demuth wrote. "By refusing to comply, we believe the MSHSL is jeopardizing equal opportunities for all athletes, particularly female athletes." Note: The video above originally aired Feb. 12, 2025.
Fox News
12-02-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Trump Education Department launches Title IX probes into 2 blue states allegedly ignoring trans athlete order
The United States Department of Education has launched Title IX investigations into athletic associations in California and Minnesota after they said they would ignore President Donald Trump's executive order to keep transgender athletes out of girls and women's sports. The Minnesota State High School League announced Thursday it will continue to allow transgender athletes to compete against girls despite Trump's executive order to probibit them from doing so. That came just days after the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) said it will continue to follow the state's law that allows athletes to participate as whichever gender they identify as. "The Minnesota State High School League and the California Interscholastic Federation are free to engage in all the meaningless virtue-signaling that they want, but at the end of the day they must abide by federal law," said Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights. "(The Office of Civil Rights') Chicago and San Francisco regional offices will conduct directed investigations into both organizations to ensure that female athletes in these states are treated with the dignity, respect and equality that the Trump administration demands. I would remind these organizations that history does not look kindly on entities and states that actively opposed the enforcement of federal civil rights laws that protect women and girls from discrimination and harassment." The Department of Education added that state laws do not override federal anti-discrimination laws, so the associations are subject to investigations. Trump signed the executive order on National Girls and Women in Sports Day, which celebrates female athletes in women's sports and those committed to providing equal access to sports for all females. The order states that "it is the policy of the United States to rescind all funds from educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities" and to take "all appropriate action to affirmatively protect all-female athletic opportunities and all-female locker rooms and thereby provide the equal opportunity guaranteed by Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972." Prior to Trump signing the order Wednesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said part of the motivation behind Trump's executive order would be to create a "pressure campaign" for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and NCAA to follow and prevent transgender athletes from competing in women's sports. In response to Trump's order, the NCAA changed its policy, in place since 2010, to disallow transgender athletes from competing against women, requiring them to compete based on their birth gender. During Trump's ceremony at the White House to sign the executive order, he announced that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem will prohibit any transgender athletes attempting to compete as women from entering the country for the Olympics in 2028. The United Nations released study findings saying nearly 900 biological females have fallen short of winning medals because they lost to transgender athletes. Minnesota, governed by Kamala Harris' running mate, Tim Walz, was home to a Supreme Court case in which a transgender powerlifter was continuing in a fight to compete against biological women. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
