Latest news with #WashingtonLawAgainstDiscrimination
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.
Fox News
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Washington fails to pass proposals that would restrict trans athletes from competing against biological girls
Two proposals that would have restricted transgender athletes from participating in girls and women's sports in the state of Washington failed in a Monday vote. The amendments needed 60% of the vote to pass — the proposal limiting girls sports participation to biological females got 31 of 53 votes (58.5%), and the other that would have created an open division for students aside from boys and girls competitions — garnered just 24.5% (13 out of 53). Washington state law currently protects transgender individuals from discrimination under the Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD). So, even if the acts had passed, there was still another clear hurdle in the way. The Lynden school board proposed the idea of only those born female participating in girls sports. That proposal, the Cascadia Daily says, also would have made the boys division an "open" category. "It is clear to our girl athletes that competing against other athletes who have gone through male puberty is unfair," Lynden superintendent David VanderYacht said, via the Cascadia Daily. "They asked us to address it, and the Lynden School Board is attempting to do so in a manner that respects and honors the dignity of all students." The Trump administration recently froze funding to the state of Maine due to the state not following President Donald Trump's executive order that says transgender athletes must compete against their gender from birth. However, a federal judge ruled that the administration must "unfreeze" those funds and is not able to revert "without complying with the legally required procedure." The USDA announced the funding freeze and a review of federal funding to Maine earlier this month after the state refused to provide equal opportunities to women and girls in educational programs. Maine officials filed a lawsuit against the USDA last week following the agency's decision to freeze funding to the state. The state accused the USDA of "withholding funding used to feed children in schools, childcare centers, and after-school programming as well as disabled adults in congregate settings," an argument the judge agreed with. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, recently called for the issues between the administration and her state to be "resolved," saying that she would continue to fight for federal funding for the state while also being against transgender athletes in biological female sports. The Department of Education also launched an investigation into the state due to the issue. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Attorney General sues Seattle Public Schools for alleged illegal treatment of pregnant employees
The Washington State Attorney General's Office has filed a lawsuit against Seattle Public Schools (SPS), alleging that the district repeatedly failed to provide reasonable accommodations to pregnant and nursing employees 'as required by law.' According to the suit, SPS 'routinely failed to provide legally required accommodations to pregnant and nursing employees such as flexible restroom breaks, modified work schedules, and the ability to sit more frequently.' KIRO 7 has reached out to the school district for comment and has yet to hear back. The suit alleges that one employee, while eight months pregnant, was unable to sit her entire workday. 'The state's investigation revealed that Seattle Public Schools did not have a district-level policy for how to handle pregnancy accommodation requests from employees. The district also failed to provide reasonable break time to express milk, or clean and private locations for nursing employees to pump. Employees were walked in on while expressing milk, endured painful clogged ducts, and experienced infections like mastitis. One employee felt 'they had no choice but to take leave to continue breastfeeding,' according to the complaint. The suit also alleges the school district violated state law by retaliating against employees who sought reasonable accommodations. The practices detailed in the suit, dating back to at least 2021, allegedly violate the state Healthy Starts Act and the Washington Law Against Discrimination, according to the AG's office. The lawsuit, filed in King County Superior Court, 'seeks to halt Seattle Public Schools from engaging in its discriminatory practices and award restitution to each impacted employee,' the suit reads.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pullman fights back
Apr. 4—PULLMAN — Washington State University students are taking a stance against federal initiatives that aim to roll back LGBTQ+ protections and end diversity, equity and inclusion programs. A protest of around 20 students was held Wednesday afternoon on WSU Pullman's Terrell Mall. Undergraduate student and co-organizer Abba Whitaker said the gathering was meant to raise visibility for the institution that was affected by changes to Title IX, which redefines sex-based harassment and discrimination. Co-organizer and undergraduate student Sienna Guadagnoli said protesters passed out flyers for a gathering Saturday in Pullman, "Hands Off! Pullman Fights Back," that's part of a nationwide mobilization effort against the Trump administration. WSU alerted students, faculty and staff in an email last week it would revise its policy prohibiting discrimination and harassment, as well as Compliance and Civil Rights procedural guidelines, to comply with reverted 2020 Title IX regulations instead of the 2024 version. Title IX is a federal law prohibiting discrimination based on sex. The email states the U.S. Department of Education issues regulations on how universities should address complaints of sexual harassment. Until recently, higher education institutions were following 2024 Title IX regulations, issued by the Biden administration, that expanded protections to include the LGBTQ+ community and broadened the definition of sex-based harassment, according to the National Archives Code of Federal Regulations website. The 2024 Title IX regulations were vacated by a federal district court in January on the basis that they exceeded the department's authority, according to the Department of Education's website. The guidelines were subsequently reverted to the 2020 Title IX version, enacted during President Donald Trump's first term. WSU assured in the email that updated regulations do not alter its "unwavering commitment" to addressing sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking. The university also stated it would continue to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, as required by the Washington Law Against Discrimination. In addition, Whitaker said the group was also protesting Trump's campaign to end DEI programs by threatening to withhold federal funding.
