High school girls walk out of Washington meet protesting transgender runner’s eligibility
Around a dozen Camas High girls left the cross-country course in protest after a male athlete was moved to the girls’ varsity team, prompting their parents to speak on The Ingraham Angle.
On Oct. 13, roughly a dozen Camas High School girls abandoned the starting line of a cross-country dual meet against Battle Ground to protest the inclusion of a biological male runner on the girls’ varsity team. The athlete had competed in an Oregon boys’ junior varsity race on Sept. 5, then was placed on the girls’ roster ten days later, a move approved by the Camas School District under Washington law that prohibits discrimination based on gender identity.
Holly Burns and her teammates walked off, and her parents, Kevin and Sarah Burns, later appeared on The Ingraham Angle to voice their concerns, describing the emotional burden on the 16- to 17-year-old athletes. The district sent a letter confirming its legal obligations, which the parents interpreted as denying further recourse. When the Burns family displayed signs of support at the meet, security attempted to remove them, but the parents remained, saying the signs boosted the girls’ morale.
Kevin Burns also urged political leaders to champion female athletics, noting bipartisan support for the issue. The episode underscores ongoing disputes over transgender participation rules in high-school sports.
