Thursday, November 6, 2025
After voting to support the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association’s (WIAA) amendments that limit the participation of transgender student athletes, Tumwater School District (TSD) Board Directors Darby Kaikkonen, Casey Taylor and Ty Kuehl addressed the issue at a work session on Wednesday, March 12.
The three directors all voted to pass the district’s resolution supporting proposed WIAA Amendment 7, which limits girls sports participation to "biological females," at a meeting on Feb. 27.
The directors also supported Amendment 8, which dictates athletic programs be offered separately for boys and girls, and an open division for all other interested students.
During the voting, only TSD Board President Melissa Beard, who voted against, and Director Jill Adams, who abstained, spoke about the issue.
Kaikkonen explained she did not talk during the last meeting because she believed the agreed upon protocols of the board were not followed, specifically Robert’s Rules of Order procedure for introducing action items.
Robert’s Rules dictate committees must present action items by a member making a motion first, which should be seconded by another member, restating the motion, discussing the motion, voting, and then announcing the vote and action taken.
During the last meeting, however, Beard first read a personal statement against the resolution before presenting the motion.
“The presentation itself was biased as the presenter inserted her own commentary into the issue before a motion could even be made. Meaning, the board was not allowed to engage in discussion,” Kuehl said.
Taylor added that how Beard presented the motion had violated both protocol and policy, as resolutions must be presented neutrally by the chair to ensure fair debate with no indication of personal bias.
Kaikkonen echoed those remarks.
“The result was a biased misrepresentation of the intent of the action item, thereby creating a situation where I felt the commitment to effective deliberation was lost and did not trust that I could express my point of view the expectation that I would be listened to in an open fair and impartial manner,” Kaikkonen said.
The directors clarified that there is no outright ban of transgender players in the district.
“We didn't ban anyone, we didn't change any policy, we didn't change any rules, we didn't do any of that. We don't even technically have a vote in the WIAA amendment process. We do not have a general assembly member from our school district,” Kuehl explained.
Kuehl reiterated the board only passed a resolution directing guidance on two amendments after WIAA.
“Nothing has changed since this resolution has passed. Trans athletes have the same rights they did prior to this resolution being adopted. This resolution doesn't take away your ... any special rights to any group of people at all,” Taylor said.
Taylor said it is "absolutely clear" to him that the current WIAA policy is "unfair."
“This is a pretty common resolution. It's been adopted by several school districts previous to us — TSD is not the first, and we will not be the last,” Taylor said.
As a former student swimmer, Kaikkonen shared that girls in sports face the challenge of not being able to stand up for themselves when defeated by transgender athletes without being accused of bigotry.
“It is about representing the voice of a female competitive athlete coming from lived experience. This is a voice that has every right to be heard along with everyone else, but has not been able to because of the impossibility of this issue and the grave concerns that people like me have about the perception that our voices might appear non-inclusive and bigoted towards the transgender community,” Kaikkonnen said.
The director said the issue is “utterly impossible” because there is no way to take a perspective on the issue of gender equity in sports without appearing to take one side at the expense of another.
Kaikkonen noted even though she received several angry emails, she also received emails from parents and girls thanking her for standing up for female athletes.
“If I can help make a difference for just one girl and add to the sense of hopefulness that we as women are not moving backwards in our rights to fair and equitable competition, then that's all I need to feel good about it,” Kaikkonen said.
Protesters could be seen obstructing the last board meeting, which led to an abrupt stop in board business, as members of the audience ignored multiple attempts to restore order.
Kuehl said after the Feb. 27 meeting, board members were allegedly spat on, directly threatened and followed out to their vehicles.
“I firmly believe in the First Amendment and the right of individuals to voice their disagreement. ... However, there is a difference between exercising free speech and crossing the line into disruption, intimidation and threats,” Kuehl added.
As Kuehl was reading his statement, the meeting was again disrupted by public dissent, and then the meeting entered into recess.
The work session resumed shortly for the directors to continue reading their statements for the public and received various reports.
In a work session, the public is only allowed to watch, and there is no opportunity for public comment.
8 comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here
DoggerRed
If you threaten the past 10 years of LGBT advocacy and community at the first chance you get I think it's fair for people to have a couple word to describe you
Tuesday, March 18 Report this
bonaro
Sports are beneficial to youth and I support participation...in the gender class to which they were born
Tuesday, March 18 Report this
Claire
I agree with Bonero. Male-male. Female-female. Common sense.
Tuesday, March 18 Report this
Overtaxed
Transgender Student athletes should only be able to participate in sports for their Biological Gender,
Common sense will tell you that a biological male is stronger physically than a biological female.
The Board is Correct in it`s decision.. If people want to protest they need to do it peacefully and
Legally or go to Jail.
Tuesday, March 18 Report this
terry
It is now possible for rational beings to acknowledge the glaring evident. Be grateful.
Tuesday, March 18 Report this
ElizCrandall
The only thing about this that threatens LGB rights and advances is the "Q" advocates that somehow hitched their wagon to LGB's star. There is no relationship...LGB is sexual orientation, "T" has nothing to do with sexual orientation. And shame on people who would throw female athletes under the bus to accommodate males' cheating by competing in the female category. There is no reason to even argue strength differences, because the difference is *** and competing against your own *** is fair and reasonable.
Wednesday, March 19 Report this
HotTractor
Ok, so is the problem that they are transgender? What about transgender in traditionally male sports? What about people who have been born with insensitivity to testosterone? They typically look just like a women along with reduced musculature but they have male reproductive parts. It’s really not a binary world when it comes to “birth gender”
Wednesday, March 19 Report this
Virge13
The trans issue is so not black and white. However, since bigots have to have their hand in every modern issue, our young people’s sports are being politicized and individuals are being singled out as “wrong”. We all know how that worked out in the past.
Wednesday, March 19 Report this