About a dozen girls from Camas High School walked away from a cross-country meet in Washington on Oct. 13, declining to compete against an athlete who had previously raced on the boys’ team, according to OutKick. Other girls, including the athlete at the center of the dispute, ran the race.
The meet was held at Camas, with Battle Ground as the opposing school. Holly Burns’ parents, Kevin and Sarah Burns, told OutKick that their daughter was initially reluctant to make a public protest, but joined teammates after hearing that others wanted to act. They said they supported her choice either way.
The parents also said they brought signs to the event and were challenged by security. Their account of that interaction, and of a separate confrontation with a spectator, was not independently verified in the supplied report. OutKick said it sought comment from Camas, the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, the state superintendent’s office and Battle Ground.
Camas School District has said it follows state law and WIAA eligibility rules. The parents said they believe the policy is unfair to girls. They also said they did not know what their daughter’s decision to sit out might mean for her postseason opportunities. The parents acknowledged that some teammates chose to race.
The dispute comes amid a wider debate over Washington’s rules for transgender athletes. The report says Initiative 638, which would restrict participation in some girls’ interschool sports based on biological sex, is scheduled for a statewide vote on Nov. 3. The parents support the measure. The report also notes that a separate Washington athletics dispute is before the U.S. Supreme Court; it said the court had not ruled on the application as of Tuesday.
The family told OutKick it plans to attend future meets and may organize another protest. These accounts and characterizations are attributed to the parents and the source; the supplied material does not include independent responses from the athlete or the athlete’s family.
