Last year, 17 school districts brought forth proposed Amendments 7 and 8to the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) handbook, and after months of anticipation, WIAA board members tossed out the amendments, as they were not in compliance with state law.

"The WIAA made the correct decision to affirm state antidiscrimination laws and its policy that ensures [that] Transgender athletes continue participating in sports that match their gender identity and expression, and we urge the WIAA to stand by that decision," said, La Rond Baker, the legal director of the ACLU of Washington. "Attempts to restrict Transgender girls from participating in sports conflict with the law and our core values as a state that prohibits discrimination."

Proposed Amendment 7 would have discriminated against Trans girl athletes by limiting girls' sports participation to "biological women," and proposed Amendment 8 would have ensured separate athletic programs for boys' and girls' teams, and create an open division for all students.

"The WIAA's policies on gender identity participation must follow Washington state law, and the current rules do so," Sean Bessette, WIAA communications director, told the SGN in December.

The Attorney General's Office previously raised concerns about the proposed amendments, noting how they would potentially violate both federal and state civil rights laws. More recently, the AGO conducted a legal review, leading the WIAA to disregard attempts to alter Trans athletes' sports participation.

"These efforts violate student privacy and only exacerbate anxiety for a group of students who already face alarming rates of discrimination. Schools should be inclusive environments and state leaders should act to keep them that way," Baker added.

Some school districts, like Lynden, pushed for both amendments, and in early March, the Tumwater School Board approved a resolution that directed district staff to approve of both proposed amendments. Board member Jill Adams abstained from voting, claiming at a school board meeting on this matter that she was stuck between "a rock and a hard place."

Tumwater was not one of the original school districts that pushed to pass either amendment, but the Department of Education's (DOE) Office of Civil Rights opened an investigation into the district after receiving a complaint on February 17. The complaint alleged that the school district discriminated against a girl basketball player on the basis of sex; investigation documents state this player was deprived of a fair opportunity to compete by "allowing a male player on an opposing basketball team to compete against the Student's team in February 2025, which forced the Student to withdraw from participation in the game."

The investigation documents stated that Tumwater School District is a recipient of federal financial assistance from the DOE, and that it must comply with President Trump's executive orders that target Transgender student athletes. It also claimed that Tumwater was in violation of Title IX by allowing "male" athletes to compete in girls' sports.