An LBHS transgender student was harassed during a recent track meet in Manson, according to one of the witnesses who knows the student and spoke on condition of anonymity.

A grandparent and parents of a Manson student in the race yelled, “Get off the track! Just stop!” as the transgender teen ran in a 1600-meter race in Manson on April 24. After the LBHS teen crossed the finish line, a Manson runner kicked the student as the student was recovering on the field. According to the eyewitness, the Manson student kicked the LBHS student through some flags. It was not a hard kick, the eyewitness said, but it sent a message.

The Methow Valley Examiner is not publishing the name of the student because the student is a minor. 

Participation of transgendered individuals in sports has been met with controversy. Advocates for LGBTQ+ rights say transgendered athletes are being discriminated against. Opponents say body composition makes competing in sports that is not in accordance with the athlete’s biological sex inherently unfair.

According to the source, the transgendered student is accepted in their peer group and is a natural leader.

“This is the first time [the student] realized that there would be repercussions,” said the source, who knows the student.

The source said they have heard from other LBHS players who are unhappy about the district’s transgender policy. 

“The student is naive in a way that what they are doing is okay when the fact is, it is very difficult,” said the source.

There is no law in place in Washington State to regulate a transgender student’s participation in middle or high school sports. Participation of transgendered individuals at the middle and high school levels is governed by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA), a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) service organization and rule-making body that was formed in 1905 to create equitable playing conditions between high school sports teams in Washington. WIAA is not funded by tax dollars, nor does it receive state funding. The organization has about 800 middle and high schools in their membership, both public and private.

According to page 37 of the WIAA Handbook, “Athletes will participate in programs consistent with their gender identity or the gender most consistently expressed.”

I am the founder and editor of Methow Valley Examiner, an online publication for locals, by locals. MVE explores stories beyond the headlines.

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