Lynden schools’ clash with WIAA draws transgender support demonstration
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Lynden School Board approved a resolution opposing WIAA's transgender athlete policy.
- Community members voiced both support and opposition during a packed board meeting.
- District plans to pursue legal action challenging state compliance with Title IX.
About 100 people gathered outside Thursday evening’s Lynden School District Board meeting and filled the room to issue public comments opposing the board’s recently passed resolution concerning transgender students’ participation in athletics.
The resolution — which passed on a 4-0 vote with Board President Jim Verburg absent during an April board meeting — reaffirmed the district’s concerns about transgender students participating in girls divisions of school sports and indicated an intent to pursue legal action against the state agency that oversees public K–12 education.
“We’re here to express our disapproval of that decision, ideally to get them to change their mind, and also to show the trans kids of Lynden that they do have support and we’re here for them,” Brooke Eolande said from the demonstration outside of Thursday’s meeting. “This decision can impact trans kids in the entire state. This isn’t just a Lynden issue. This is a Washington issue.”
The resolution is the latest action by the school board to attempt to make changes to the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association’s (WIAA) current gender participation policy after a female Lynden student athlete competed alongside a transgender student who won the 400m girls final at Washington’s 2A State Track & Field Championship in May of 2024.
“We want all students to have opportunity for participation in athletics, but we also think there is an unfair competitive advantage in girls’ sports for transgender females who have gone through male puberty,” Lynden School District Superintendent David VanderYacht told The Herald in an email Friday.
In a public comment period that lasted about an hour Thursday night, many community members shared apprehension about the board’s resolution, citing concerns about trans student safety and sharing opinions about the social value of allowing students to participate in sports categories that align with their gender identity.
“I want everyone on the board to understand one thing,” former Lynden High School student and local trans rights activist Devin Luna said at the board meeting. “This is more than just about sports. This is more than about regulations. This is more than about the local community that is in the schools right now. The (resolution) will make kids feel unsafe ... in the most pivotal time that it is to explore oneself and not feel isolated from their peers.”
Other community members thanked the board for its resolution, saying they believed it was fair and prioritized the safety of biological girls in sports.
“I appreciate that you are working to protect our girls,” said Lynden High School Coach Layne Hutchins. “I am the coach of a girl that lost to that East Valley girl. I witnessed my athlete, my girl, go through inner turmoil of what to do — what was right and what was wrong — because it was obviously unfair.”
The current WIAA policy states that “all students have the opportunity to participate in WIAA athletics and/or activities in a manner that is consistent with their gender identity,” which the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) has said is in line with Washington state law which “has prohibited discrimination on the basis of gender identity” since 2006.
VanderYacht previously told The Herald the policy was “unworkable.”
The board’s resolution suggests that compliance with this policy has “caused harm to students” and limited parents’ rights. The resolution also suggests board members are concerned that compliance with state law may violate federal law, putting the district at risk of losing federal funding.
“School districts are put in a very difficult position when there is strong community advocacy on two sides of an issue that impact students. This particular situation also has an uncertainty of legal interpretations,” VanderYacht told The Herald.
The Lynden School District Board of Directors — along with 13 other districts and boards across Washington, including Blaine School District and Lynden Christian School — submitted proposed amendments to the WIAA policy that would have effectively disallowed transgender girls from participating in girls’ sports, instead limiting participation in the girls category to biological females.
The proposed policy change would have created two categories of competition: Boys/Open and Girls. All student-athletes, regardless of sex, gender identity or gender expression, who meet eligibility criteria, would have been allowed to participate in the ‘Boys/Open category under the proposal.
As of February, WIAA was aware of five transgender student athletes competing in the state, according to reporting by The Seattle Times.
“I think it’s really important for people to show up for trans people everywhere right now,” Frankie Rivera told The Herald at the demonstration Thursday. “We are being targeted in ways that are completely overt and really dangerous for everybody.”
The proposed amendments were voted on last month and failed. Even if they had passed, WIAA made clear the amendments would have been “advisory only” and would not have been implemented under current Washington state law.
Still, the Lynden School District Board’s resolution indicates the board’s intent to:
▪ File a formal Title IX complaint to the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education requesting a directed investigation and enforcement action concerning the application of Title IX, “with the goal of ensuring equitable treatment and protection for all students.”
▪ File a formal complaint to the U.S. Attorney General’s Office outlining concerns regarding the OSPI policy on gender inclusivity, “and its potential conflicts with federal Title IX requirements.”
▪ Initiate legal action against OSPI to seek a ruling on whether OSPI’s actions, mandates and enforcements related to its gender inclusivity policy “exceed its statutory authority and/or infringe on the Board’s right to operate the District.” The resolution authorizes the district’s superintendent to include other interested school districts in that legal action.
“There are times when it feels like the fight never ends. And maybe it won’t. But what matters is, it continues. We are just as much a part of the community as everyone else,” demonstration organizer Luna told The Herald.
Lynden School District board members thanked those who spoke at the meeting, saying the input was valuable. They also defended their decision to pass the resolution.
“We are simply trying to say that there is a biological difference between men and women. This is not about gender ideology. This is about sex,” said board member Danny Martinez at the Thursday meeting. “This is not about not believing that transgender people exist, but simply about an issue of fairness and to protect the integrity of girls’ sports. We will not probably see eye to eye on this, and I think that’s OK. I appreciate those of you who disagree with what I’m saying.”
“Let me be clear, I’m not against anyone. I’m not here to pick a side. I’m here for the truth, and I’m here for children,” board member Tonya Hickman said. “I am for families. I am for giving students the very best we have to offer and education rooted in critical thinking. And while I serve on this board, I will continue to push back against the pressure to politicize our classrooms. I will continue to ask hard questions about the consequences of decisions made in Olympia because if lawmakers truly cared about kids, they would stop chasing control and start promoting family stability.”
This story was originally published May 17, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
